


The Illusion Of Danger

by Nova13, travisTea



Category: Lackadaisy (Webcomic)
Genre: 1920s, Alcohol, Anthropomorphic, Blood and Injury, Closeted Character, Guns, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Kissing, Original Character(s), Painplay, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Surprise Kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:34:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28691013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova13/pseuds/Nova13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/travisTea/pseuds/travisTea
Summary: Rocky has begun to develop symptoms he doesn't understand, and only around one person. A man he barely knows. He confides in his cousin, but Calvin knows the man is known as bad news and warns Rocky to keep his distance. But Rocky doesn't listen to his brain half the time, so why not try his heart instead?Modecai keeps running into a high energy goofball. Is he trying to get information on him to report back to the people after him?
Relationships: Mordecai Heller/Rocky Rickaby
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Just a few small notes!  
> Just a heads up that there will be some heckin' spoicy bits within this fic but there will be warnings at the beginning of the chapter so that you'll have the option of skipping those if you don't want to read that sort of stuff.  
> Everything else is pretty mcfrickin' fluffy and cute (once the two gents get there, of course.)  
> Hope you enjoy!

"Sir, can I take your ord-"

"No."  
The black and white cat replied bluntly to the waitress before she could even finish. He stood from his chair, left hand on the back of it while the right held his coat draped over.  
"Excuse me, I have work to prepare for."  
He continued as he walked away from the table.

"The tablecloth is wrinkled. I guess he just couldn't take it anymore."  
Asa said, clearly trying to justify Mordecai's abrupt leave.

Of course, while he wasn't wrong, Mordecai found himself needing to get away from his ex-employer and her unbelievable 'associates', as she had put it.  
They were hardly the kind of company he would be able to tolerate for very long, so an early excusal would have spared everyone the mess, especially that syrup-obsessed one; a disastrous one with the missing chunk out of his ear and ridiculous nicknames. The one he recognized as one of the band members from Mitzi's speakeasy.  
It also gave him an opportunity to wait for Mitzi in her car for a quick conversation about a topic that was briefly touched.

Upon finding the vehicle that was Mitzi's, identified by the license plate, the first thing Mordecai noticed was the fact that the windows were adorned with bullet holes. The Lackadaisy had quickly turned into a circus since Atlas's death and Mordecai couldn't help but thank his lucky stars that he left when he did. It saved him ample amounts of embarrassment and humiliation.

The tuxedo cat quickly realized that the doors were unlocked, causing him to roll his eyes. He supposed this just made his life that much easier. It would keep him from looking too suspicious to any passersby.  
Mordecai opened the back door and stepped in, sitting in the very middle of the backseat in order to keep the balance of symmetry. Now he supposed he would simply sit and wait for his chance to have a proper word with Mitzi in private.

Rocky watched as the serious cat got up and left with barely a goodbye. He was already quite irritated that the cafe didn't serve pancakes, but he wasn't going to let that or the other man get to him considering the meal was free.

For the most part, Rocky tuned out the boring conversation between his boss and the other business mogul at the table and enjoyed his lunch. Periodically he would glance over at his cousin, who barely touched his lunch and was more set on staring at the butterflies around the flower garden. Rocky rolled his eyes and looked back down to his plate to finish his meal.

Once Mitzy was done with her conversation she pulled out her chair and stretched her legs. Rocky snapped out of his stupor, having joined Calvin in watching the butterflies, he joined Mitzi in standing up, stretching his arms above his head and scratching his sides.

"Nice meetin' ya Mr. Sweet. Thanks again for lunch!"  
The other man nodded, clearly irritated at the fact he had to pay so much for lunch. Rocky shot him finger guns despite that. Calvin nodded, and Mitzi thanked the man as well.

"That was... fun? Thanks for having us, Miss M."  
Rocky shoved his hands in his pockets whilst he walked beside his boss and cousin.

"Yes, thank you, miss."  
Calvin added in his own soft-spoken voice, once again getting distracted by a butterfly landing on the tip of his nose that he tried to blow away.

The woman gave a small smile and picked up her purse, setting it over her shoulder.  
"Of course, honey. Fun isn't exactly the word I would use myself, but I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."  
She said as she looked over at the orange and white cat for a moment, who was still distracted by the winged critter that wasn't budging from his snout.  
"Both of you."  
With that she started walking away from the table and toward the parking lot, her expression falling to something a little more relaxed and almost somber.

Rocky looked over at his cousin and the butterfly that landed on his nose, he gave a small smile at how much of a softie this guy could really be; not even a butterfly scared of him. That is until he got ahold of a firearm, then, hooo boy.

He glanced down at Mitzi, who was now looking to be deep in thought. He wondered quietly to himself what she could possibly be thinking about. She had just looked so happy, and now, quite sad.

"Somethin' wrong Miss M?"  
He questioned the melancholy look on the older woman's face.

"Well, I suppose everything is as good as it can be right now. I've got a lot to... sort out, sweetie."  
Mitzi responded.

She knew that Rocky had spaced out during the entire conversation, so she would spare him the list of things she had to think about, and Calvin wasn't quite someone she would confidently confide in just yet. He seemed to hardly know what was going on most of the time.

Rocky shrugged, not wanting to pry too much. He did care for Mitzi and didn't want her to be upset.

"Now, let's get back so I can start coming up with a plan."  
She continued as they neared the car.

"Sure thing, Miss M. If ya need to talk about it though, you know I'm here for ya."  
Rocky took a hand out of his pocket and placed it on her shoulder as a sign of good faith.

Mitzi gave an appreciative smile with a very small nod.  
"I know, Rocky, and I thank you for that."  
She replied.  
"I know I'll need to make a visit to a friend and see if he'll be able to help us a bit."  
She continued, now more or less thinking out loud before clearing her throat.  
"Now be a gentleman and get the door for me?"  
Mitzi asked as she removed the strap of her handbag from her shoulder.

Rocky grinned and went to grab the door for Mitzi. When he turned to look at the door, he saw a black figure move in the window and jumped back. He threw a hand back against the woman and Calvin as if shielding them.

"Look out Miss M! There's Masked Marauder in the car! I'll protect you!"

The giant dork reached into his pocket as if to pull out a pistol, but produced a pen instead, and shook it nervously at the car door.  
"Step out of the automobile you vagabond! Reveal yourself!"

Mitzi was taken by surprise at the sudden outburst, Calvin as well considering the fraying of his tail and the grip he had on his cousin.

Mordecai sighed to himself, supposing that if things were to go according to his plan, it would have been far too smooth for comfort with this specific band member there.  
Shifting now, he opened the car door and stepped out with his coat still draped over his right arm, looking quite unamused at the pen that was pointed at him.

"I don't think a mere pen is going to do much harm in this case."  
The black and white cat stated plainly, then looked at the woman the cowardly cat was shielding.  
"You certainly know how to pick the courageous ones, don't you? As fierce as a neonatus equus callabus."

The tabby lowered the pen realizing he had met this cat before.  
"Oh... it's you. What did you just call me with them funny words? A cannibal horse?!"  
Rocky's ears flattened against his skull, more in curiosity than anger, for he was not entirely sure what the black and white cat had just called him.

Calvin let go of Rocky with his iron grip, trading it with a soft one tugging at his sleeve.  
"He looks like he just wants a word with Miss M, Rocky..."

Mordecai raised his chin slightly with a raised brow. He was quite honestly surprised that Rocky had known at least one of the words.  
"A _newborn_ horse."  
He corrected, then adjusted his circular spectacles.

Rocky's fur bristled when the other cat had clarified what he had called him. He would've decked him if Mitzi hadn't given the okay to the other man's invitation.

"And yes, I would like to have a word with Mitzi. In private, if you please."  
The black and white cat then turned and opened the front door of the car for the woman to enter for their discussion.

Mitzi exhaled patting Rocky on the shoulder.  
"It's alright. I'll handle this, dear. You boys wait outside and keep your curious ears to yourselves."  
She instructed as she stepped forward and climbed into the front seat, Mordecai shutting the door behind her.

Before he got into the backseat again, Mordecai paused to glance at the two other 'men' with something of an almost warning expression, then followed through with his actions, closing the door behind him.

After shutting the door and seeing the face Mordecai had given him Rocky was a bit shook. Such a mean glare.  
Calvin tugged on Rocky's sleeve once more, trying to usher him away from the car, but his cousin wasn't having it.

"Let go, Freckle!"  
He whispered harshly to get his point across.  
"I ain't leaving Miss M alone with this fellah. He seems to be some bad news."  
Rocky's heart pounded in his chest as he knelt down beside the car door, pricking up his ears to make sure he could hear the entire conversation.

Calvin knelt next to Rocky once he came to terms that he wasn't going to succeed in getting him away from the car.

Mordecai was about to speak when the two pairs of ears caught his eye.  
"Mitzi, if you will."  
He cleared his throat.

The woman's brows raised slightly as she looked at the ears that were just peeking into view on the other side of the window.  
"...Rocky."

The tabby popped his head up with a small.  
"Hi."  
His ears flicked and he stood up.

"I can still see you, honey."  
She said.  
"At least wait around back of the machine?"

"Yes, Miss M."  
Rocky motioned as if kicking an invisible rock and shuffled around to the back of the vehicle, grabbing his cousin by the collar and dragging him away with him.

***

Calvin kept his eyes forward as Rocky drove through the streets, seeming to be ranting about how much he disliked Wick, considering they had just dropped Mitzi off there so she could do whatever kind of business she had there.

The orange and white tabby was really just sitting in the passenger's side of the car, listening to whatever his cousin was spewing and making sure he didn't swerve off of the road with his frantic and maniac driving while they made their way to the college that a colleague of theirs attended.

Rocky was droning on and on about how annoying this Wick character was, almost not even hearing himself talk as if he were on autopilot. His driving was getting a tad erratic as he was hitting the steering wheel to drive his point home.

"WAIT A GALDURN MINUTE! IS THAT...."  
Rocky pointed out at the black and white cat walking down the sidewalk.  
"IT'S HIM! IT'S MORDY!"  
He slammed on the breaks creating a horrendous screeching noise as they came to a halt. Calvin just about slamming his face against the dashboard. Poor Calvin had thankfully stopped himself from hitting the dash with his own paws. He sighed a breath of relief and glared at his cousin.

At the sudden screech of rubber on the asphalt, everyone on the street seemed to stop and cover their ears before quickly looking in the direction of the sound with widened eyes; the targeted gentleman included.

"I'm gonna give that grump a piece of my mind."  
Rocky shoved off his coat, threw it in the back seat, and proceeded to roll up his far-too-long-for-him sleeves.

Because Mordecai was always on high alert and listening to everything around him, it did hurt his ears a bit despite hearing the car quickly approaching from behind, causing the fur on his tail to stand on end and his ears to fold back for only a moment.  
He too whipped around to see the car that had suddenly stopped beside him and quickly noticed that it was the same vehicle he'd been in earlier, regaining his composure.

With a short exhale, Mordecai fixed his coat and watched as the familiar disaster of a tabby exited the car, silently wondering what this interruption was going to be about.

Rocky hopped out of the car and stormed his way up to the black and white cat.  
"YOU! YOU MADE MISS M CRY YOU LITERAL SCALLYWAG! HOW DARE YOU!"  
The tabby was shouting at the other cat before he even shut the car door.

Rocky got up beside the tuxedo cat, now realizing how much taller he was than himself. A little intimidated but still very upset and more than willing to throw hands in order to defend his boss.

"Mr. Rickaby, you're causing an unnecessary scene."  
Mordecai stated as he held himself with his usually perfect and tall posture, looking down at the smaller... he could hardly use the word 'gentleman' in this case.  
"A few seemingly sensitive topics had been brought up, however, it is all remaining between myself and your employer."  
The black and white cat paused, looking into the automobile to see the other tabby was there was well, looking quite embarrassed about the whole situation.

"If you are here looking for a brawl, I'm afraid I have to decline the challenge. I am far too busy to be wasting my time with this sort of nonsense."  
Mordecai continued, then shifted on his heels and started walking in his intended direction once again.  
"Good day."

A little surprised at being addressed in such a way, usually just being called Rocky, his ears perked and whiskers shot forward. Rocky's heart thumped a little harder at the thought of this other cat knowing his last name. He couldn't be sure what that was about due to being upset still at this other cat.

"Sensitive topics or not, a 'gentleman' such as yourself,"  
He used air quotes at the word gentleman.  
"Shouldn't be making a nice lady like Miss M cry! Nor any other lady for that matter!"  
His fur bristled as his anger rose. He balled up a fist and reared back as the other cat started to turn and walk away, but his hand was caught by his cousin who was now standing behind him.

"Don't waste your energy, Rocky."  
Calvin whispered, looking up at his cousin with worried and pleading eyes. They were drawing too much negative attention to themselves and he wasn't particularly a fan of that.

"I'd recommend you listen to your companion. We all have more important things to attend to, I would assume."  
Mordecai said as he stopped and turned only his head, green eyes piercing into Rocky's blue ones.  
"I hope we don't cross paths again. I don't think it would be in your best interest to actively seek me out from this point on."

Rocky looked back at his cousin. His big yellow eyes were hard to say no to. He lowered his fist and shoved both his hands in his pockets. He scoffed at the tuxedo cat, irritated that he knew he was right about the negative attention they've gained. He didn't need the police to recognize them in the future.

"Actively seeking him out... my tail."  
He swished the tip of his tail back and forth, the fur still bristled up at the end.  
"Let's go Freckle, we don't need this sourpuss..."

Calvin rolled his eyes at the pun, whether it was intended or not.

"In our lives anyway. We gotta meet up with Ivy anyhow."  
Rocky turned around to head back to the auto but turned his head back slightly to get one more good look at the tuxedo cat. He narrowed his blue eyes and felt his heart thump again.

"What in the blazes..."  
He whispered to himself and looked down at his chest for a moment, but shook it off. It was probably nothing.  
"I'll have to see the doctor about this weird heart condition I got goin' on today."  
The tabby whispered quietly to himself as to not raise any concern from his cousin.

Mordecai was stationary long enough to catch the look that was thrown his way, his stance never faltering as he watched the two cats get back in their car, then brushed himself off in case any dust or dirt found its way onto his form.  
He adjusted his spectacles, took one more quick look around, and then continued on his way; naturally a little annoyed from the disturbance to his schedule.

Something he would admit to though, the one presumably nicknamed Rocky did have a very fine pattern of fur. Pleasingly symmetrical if he managed to hold a neutral expression long enough and gained another missing chunk in his other ear to match the other, however, that was probably the only redeeming quality he had.

Calvin looked across at Rocky as he got in the car again and then out at the other cat they had stopped, then at Rocky again.  
"Are you alright?"  
He asked, his voice still quiet and timid.

"That guy..."  
Rocky's whiskers flattened on his face.  
"So snooty, so... _grumpy_..."  
Rocky was making faces to himself without realizing it. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down a bit. Running his claws through his hair, he began to mutter to himself in a 'mocking Mordecai's cool facade' kind of way; not realizing his cousin was watching him, since he had his eyes on the road.

Calvin watched the road for a few moments before trying again, letting his cousin have that time to let most of it out of his system, this time tapping Rocky on the shoulder lightly.  
"Um... Rocky?"  
He said a little louder this time.

Rocky kept his faces and rant going until he was snapped out of it by a timid tap on his shoulder.  
"WHAT FRECKLE?!"  
He whipped his head to the side and had snapped at his cousin, not meaning to. Calvin's eyes widened and his ears went down.

"Ugh... sorry... I didn't mean to snap at you."  
Rocky placed a paw on Calvin's shoulder.  
"I'm just so... peeved at this guy. Who does he even think he is?! J.D. Rockefeller?!"  
The tabby bared his fangs as he looked back at the road, giving Calvin some time to talk.

"I don't know."  
Calvin replied quietly.  
"Are you alright though? I don't think I've ever seen you so... um... peeved."  
He continued, unsure of what word to use, so he just went with the word Rocky himself used to describe his emotion.

Calvin did know that his cousin would more often than not take a more comedic approach to release his rage and aggression, so seeing him actually to this point was a bit unnerving.

Rocky's heart was beating faster in his chest, thinking of that cat's face again.

"Ya know cousin... you're right."  
Rocky's fur fluffed up, shaking his head with a smile.  
"I shouldn't let grumpy puss get to me! Yeah, he hurt Miss M, but, it's not like we'll be seein' him all the time. Like the breeze rustling through the trees, taking leaves on wing. Not knowing where they end up in the winter. Autumn fleeting fast, bringin' the cold snowy nights. Lonely, quiet, just a little damp. He will be alone, and I will have my friends to keep me company as I make them a pancake dinner."  
The tabby wrapped his arm around his cousin, the other hand up in the air. His mood lifted from reciting poetry that almost made sense... if one was hit in the head with a tire iron.

Calvin's eyes widened slightly and grabbed the steering wheel to keep them steady and on the road, but was ultimately glad to have the regular Rocky back, offering him one of his very small yet genuine smiles.  
"You're right."  
He replied with a curt nod as if he knew what his cousin was really saying.  
"I'm glad you see it that way too."


	2. Chapter 2

Ivy brought Rocky back to her dormitory to watch over the lunatic who became living roadkill that night. Those dealers had done a number on him, and even though one of their wives had patched him up, Ivy didn't want Rocky sleeping in his car tonight. They had already taken Calvin home and she didn't want to bother him or his mother with a messed Rocky and a story about running hooch and whatnot.

"Ughhh, Rocky, you're gonna be the death of me, ya crazy."  
She laid the tabby down in her own bed, taking the couch in her room that night to sleep on. He had stitches and a large bandage on his head; thank goodness no one saw her bring the guy up looking like that.

About two days had passed and Rocky finally was coherent enough to at least walk on his own. Ivy had been bringing him fluids to at least keep him hydrated between classes, but eating was out of the question. He wasn't awake enough to chew or he'd choke on his food.  
The tabby was still a bit wobbly, vision nice and blurry. He rubbed his eyes trying to focus on his surroundings. What he saw was his aunt's house and began to sweat. The cat knew he wasn't allowed to bunk there and he had no idea how long he had been out for.

"Oh, nerts!"  
Rocky cursed under his breath.  
Not wanting to alert his aunt, he slipped quietly through the room and out the door. His bandages were soaked in blood from the previous night, the stitches most likely not done up very well. As he wandered the halls of the dorms, the cat began to realize something was a little off about his aunt's house.

A certain cat happened to be wide awake at this ungodly hour of the morning, skimming through the book titles that lined the mass of shelves of the extravagant college library.  
With his particular skill of picking locks and such, paired with his presentation, no one would be any the wiser with such a man in the library at that time of the morning, naturally thinking he was a professor of some kind and had a key to the rooms.

Mordecai was searching for something in particular. He wasn't quite sure where to start looking, but he did have all day to find it, so he sort of let himself get distracted and gravitate toward one aisle that held fiction. Normally, he wouldn't dabble with nonsense such as that and only read non-fiction, however, there was a book that he wanted to look into while he had the time to do so. His research could hold off for a little while so that he could broaden his horizons.

Plucking the book off of the shelf once he'd found it, the black and white cat found a nice spot to perch, flicked the lamp on that sat on the small round table that sat beside his chair, crossed one leg over the other, and opened the book to the first page.  
Mordecai didn't exactly care that there was the sound of footsteps moving down the hall just outside. He was certain whoever it was, they would continue on their way and not question the light being on. It was like that every other time he'd been here.

If he was honest, he would have just stayed home to read, however, he didn't have many books there. The few that he did have, he'd read through far too many times to count. One hundred and twenty-two. Yes, as a matter of fact, he did keep track and he certainly wasn't ashamed of that either. Mordecai knew those books word for word and could recite them off by heart at this point.

Rocky was wandering down the halls of the university, still seeing his aunt's house, wondering why he didn't recognize any of the cats in the family paintings on the walls.

"Wait a minute... paintings?"  
The tabby stopped and stared at one of the paintings on the walls. He rubbed his chin with a clawed finger but froze when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Oh no, the bulls are afta me!"  
Rocky searched frantically for a door, hoping to see the one that led to the front yard, but he'd have to settle for the cracked one that led to the dining room. He hurried behind the door and closed it as quietly as possible. Once closed, he leaned his head against the wood and let out a sigh.

"Oooh my, that was a close one."  
The cat turned around to see that the ceiling to the dining room had gotten very tall. He didn't remember all these books being there before either. Was he in the living room? He figured he had gotten turned around somewhere in the house; it had definitely been a while since he had stayed the night. His ears perked up, sensing someone was there with him, he pulled his tail in against his body and swiveled his head back and forth.

Eventually, his eyes landed on a cat he had never seen before. His pupils dilated, almost engulfing the entirety of the blue in his eyes.

Mordecai didn't even flinch as he heard the door of the library creek open and close again, followed by an airy whisper.  
"I'd recommend you go back to bed. This is hardly the place for children to be at this hour."  
He calmly stated without taking his eyes off of the words he was reading.

During the fair number of times that he'd been here, there had been some foolish kids who deemed the library to be a safe and appropriate place to have their kissing fits during the night and into the early hours of the morning.  
Normally, whoever had come in would have scampered off at his warning, but when there wasn't the immediate sound of a disappointed groan or just the door opening and closing again, the cat sighed.  
"Did you not hear me? I-"  
He looked up from his book and adjusted his glasses only to see a possibly familiar face that caused him to stop mid-sentence.

Rocky stood up straight and adjusted the suit that he wasn't wearing; actually in his undergarments, boxers, and tank top. He adjusted his nonexistent tie and slicked back his hair, effectively ripping the coverings off of his stitches.

"Well hello, there pretty young thing."  
He crooned as he sauntered over to the cat in question.  
"What might you be doing at my aunties house at this hour? Awake too?! You one of Freck- I mean Calvin's dates?"  
He sat across from the other cat in the empty chair.

Mordecai's entire brain seemed to stop at the sudden strange behavior. It was clear that a head injury and quite possibly even pain killers were the culprit behind the impaired perception of reality. The thing he was least expecting was to see this exact cat here. He didn't seem like the type to have the head for any sort of education.

It took him a good minute to actually find any sort of words and put them forth.  
"Are you quite serious?"  
He began, unsure of how to even address being flirted with.  
"I presume someone beat me to the punch and roughed you up already. You're going to start bleeding with those poorly sutured threads in your face. I suppose that's one more thing I can thank whoever did this to you for; keeping the wound directly in the center of your forehead. Even like this, you remain symmetrical."  
Which could have posed as a compliment, really.

Looking back down at his book, Mordecai extended one of his hands and flicked it in a shooing motion towards Rocky.  
"Now get back to your room and fix yourself. You look even more vacuous than when I last saw you, even though I didn't think it possible."

Rocky straightened up and looked around, when the coast was clear he looked back at the beauty before him.

"Ya see,"  
He began whispering.  
"I ain't exactly supposed ta be here in my aunties house. I'm assuming young ivy brought me here after we tried to smuggle some local's hooch. Calvin must've left me to my own devices and I just woke up to use the john and must've gotten turned around."  
He looked up at the injury on his head.  
"Can't exactly go back upstairs to Cal's room, our aunt's on the prowl, ya see. Think ya can... do me a 'lil favor and... ya know..."  
He made a sewing gesture with his hand and give the pretty cat a big ol' classic Rocky Rickaby smile.  
"Also, not sure whatcha talkin' about, I look great!"  
He snapped his nonexistent suspenders from under his nonexistent coat.

Mordecai's patience was undoubtedly being tested, but he had a feeling there would be no possible way of getting rid of this dolt until he'd gotten patched up to a satisfactory level.

"Keep your voice down and stay put."  
He instructed as he shut the book, the tuxedo cat set the item down on the small table, stood, and made haste toward the librarian's desk. He knew that there had to be a first aid kit around, however, the required tools for suturing was very unlikely.

Rocky watched as the other cat got up to look for the medical kit.

"Ya know,"  
He slumped forward with his elbows on his knees, his forehead beginning to bleed and drip down into his line of sight.  
"Calvin is a pretty hep cat, I'll admit."  
Pun definitely intended knowing this was coming from Rocky.  
"But, he's no firecracker, like yours truly."  
He sat up and placed a paw on his chest and looked over smugly to see if the other cat was paying attention. When he saw that they hadn't acknowledged him, he started up again.

"Ya see, I've been a runner for quite a while now. A dangerous yet fulfilling job. Helping out a woman in her time of need after her husband's tragic death. She has been forced to run a business and keep it afloat all her own."  
The tabby stood and jumped up on the seat he was just sitting upon.  
"Me, like a knight in shining armor! To aid a princess in her hour of need! She being far too old for me, yet, I help her as if we were to wed, for I am a valiant gentleman who will always be there for a person in need!"  
He announced this as if he were addressing a crowd of people instead of one singular individual.

Mordecai did his damnedest to ignore the other man, but that was an awfully difficult task when he was beginning to raise his voice in an attempt to woo him as if he were a female. He began to rush in finding what he was looking for, and once he did, he walked back over.  
"Yes, I'm sure that's very enchanting, howbeit, I recall telling you to sit and hold your tongue."  
He huffed, as he opened the metal box.  
To his dismay, the contents of the kit were scattered and disorganized.  
"Oh, _honestly_. If all of them are like this, I'll have to find them and rearrange each individual one."  
He muttered to himself, knowing he couldn't be bothered with fixing this little problem just yet. He had a bleeding idiot to tend to. So, taking some of the packaged gauze and the small bottle of rubbing alcohol, Mordecai began unwrapping some of the gauzes and stood in front of Rocky.  
"Sit still."

Rocky shrugged his shoulders and plopped in the seat. He looked up at the other cat and wiggled his eyebrows up and down.  
"Gosh, you sure are pretty. Cal sure can pick 'em, huh?"  
His face began to relax into a dreamy grin, as he watched the other cat.

This wasn't exactly the silence Mordecai had asked for, but apparently, this was the closest thing he was going to get to it. At the very least, Rocky wasn't yelling and trying to throw punches as he had been during their last interaction. There were certainly pros and cons to this.  
Pros: Rocky was quieter and not putting up a fight.  
Cons: He was being awfully flirty and in a whole other reality; likely due to the drugs he was most probably on.  
Mordecai was going to work with what he was given.

"I'm sure he can."  
The cat sighed, gently yet firmly gripping Rocky's chin and guiding his head into a position where he'd get enough light on the wound. If he was going to do an effective job, he would obviously need to see what he was doing.  
The gash itself looked fine, no dirt or signs of festering.

Mordecai actively avoided direct eye contact, especially with how Rocky was looking at him with those dilated, yet... somehow stunning blue eyes. It was mildly uncomfortable to put it lightly. He swiftly removed his coat and rolled up his sleeves before taking the cork out of the bottle, putting some of the pungent liquid onto the gauze, then set the bottle down.  
This seemed like a good opportunity to get to know his new rival now that he thought about it.

"This... Calvin. Is he a relative of yours? A cousin, I'm assuming."  
Mordecai spoke as he very carefully began to dab the wound free of blood before getting to the actual stitches. He still hadn't figured out what he was going to do about those.

"OH YEAH!"  
Rocky started, far too loudly.

Mordecai's ears fell back slightly at the sudden loudness and did his best to shush the cat without wringing his neck, but, of course, Rocky seemed to lower his voice again as he told his story. None of it was entirely useful information, but it was information nonetheless.

"Freckle is my cousin! He's a good guy really. Kinda shy, but boy can he handle himself in a firefight! I remember this one time..."  
Rocky then proceeded to tell the embarrassing story about how Calvin got his nickname and how he was the cause of it, pausing to giggle at the memory.  
"When we were kittens, I got ahold of a razor and played barber with my poor little cousin. I found that he had a little freckle right here after I shaved his face clean."  
He said as he poked his own cheek.  
"That's why I call him Freckle, but he only lets me call him that."

Mordecai raised a brow, fully focused on what his hands were doing currently.

"You sure have pretty eyes..."  
Rocky started purring as the other cat worked. He leaned into the touch, his ears starting to relax, and whiskers falling.  
"He sure can pick 'em, that cousin o' mine. Eyes like beautiful fields of grass fresh after a spring rain...."  
He couldn't help flirt with this mysterious stranger. His heart was beating so hard in his chest.

Rocky finished his story just as Mordecai finished cleaning the blood from the wound a little and was about to start figuring out how to adjust the threads, however, came the statement given about his eyes. It confused him and the poetic description only more so.  
The black and white cat cleared his throat a bit, setting the bloodied gauze aside now.

"Um... I've... been told I have my mother's eyes."  
Mordecai replied rather awkwardly after a moment. He'd never received a compliment like that before, so responded with the excuse as to why his eyes were 'pretty'. Of course, he had no choice when it came to which features he inherited.  
He cleared his throat again and shook his head a bit, returning to the task at hand.  
"Who, pray tell, inflicted this injury upon you? I must thank them."  
He asked as he carefully pinched the threads at the very end of the wound and pulled very carefully in an attempt to close the gap of skin. It was then that he noticed that the knot was done wrong; a fairly easy fix.

"Sure do ask a lotta questions, pretty pretty."  
Purring and eyes going out of focus from the drugs in his system, he couldn't help complimenting his makeshift nurse.  
"Your mother sounds like she was almost as beautiful as you."  
He began making a kissy face at the other cat, moving far too much for the other to concentrate on accuracy.

Mordecai's ears flattened a little more at the compliment to his mother, however, he was met with complete disgust at the tabby's next moves.  
With his eyes widening and the right side of his upper lip raising to display his displeasure, he quickly slapped his paw against Rocky's puckered lips and pushed him back into the chair.  
"Ugh, you're _impossible_!"  
He exclaimed as he noticed his fur was now standing on end.

Rocky flew back into his chair. The slap causing the stitches to completely fall out, his head now bleeding again.

"Uuughhh... what just hit me..."  
His paw flew to his cheek, rubbing it trying to dull the pain. Blood was cascading down his forehead from the now open again wound. Thick liquid stung his eyes and blinded him now.

"Why... why do I smell books... and peroxide..."  
The tabby rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of his surroundings. It was as if Mordecai slapped all the drugs out of his system.

"Is... is someone there? I can't see anything!"  
Rocky frantically rubbed his eyes trying to get the blood out of them.

Mordecai took a moment before rolling his eyes. What did he expect from such a reaction, honestly? He'd already undone the knot that held the stitches in place and once he'd let go, everything came loose again.  
He didn't waste another moment and grabbed some more gauze, unwrapped it, and held it to Rocky's forehead before he could paint the library and everything in it with his own personal shade of red.

"Calm down. We need to get you to a restroom."  
The black and white cat stated rather calmly.  
"...or perhaps a hospital."  
He didn't have the means to redo the stitching himself, nor was sewing one of his many strong suits despite how easy it looked. He certainly wasn't in any mood to test his beginners' skills this early in the morning, so, wrapping an arm around Rocky's waist and keeping pressure on the reopened wound, Mordecai started to help him up.

Rocky jumped at the sound of the other's voice. It was familiar but he couldn't quite place it, considering he only had heard it a handful of times. The second an arm wrapped around his waist his tail fur stood on end, not expecting a hand to be placed on him.

"Just close your eyes and let them water. It'll flush the blood out naturally. Until then, I will guide you to my automobile, and I will take you to the nearest hospital."  
The tuxedo cat instructed gently yet firmly.

"Hey, thanks, pal. I appreciate the help. I'm... not totally sure where I am, to be honest witcha'. Last I remember my buddy Ivy had taken me to a bed. And I've been out cold ever since... speaking of restrooms... I really gotta use the john..."  
Rocky started to dance a bit on the spot, showing how much he really needed to use it.

"I am _certainly_ not helping you with that."  
Mordecai sighed, disregarding everything else Rocky had said for the time being. He had other things to focus on at the moment, leaving his coat and everything as it was. It was still very early in the morning, the sun not even a thought yet.

Swiftly guiding Rocky to the doors, Mordecai kept light on his feet to reduce noise production.  
"From here on out, no matter how difficult this task may be for you, you must be quiet. No talking, no stomping, _nothing_."  
He whispered as he cracked the door open and peered out into the long stretch of hallway, looking and listening for any signs of lurking lifeforms.

"Quiet... quiet... yeah, I can do that... but... why? Where are we... who are you anyway?"  
It wouldn't be too hard for Rocky's feet to be quiet considering he was still in his underwear with no shoes. His paw pads made him almost silent. The tabby's ears flattened to his head, worried about the situation he was in. Blinded by blood and guided to safety by a total stranger wasn't exactly his idea of a good time.  
He tried to stop the other cat in his tracks, trying his best to deny being lead by this stranger.

"Hold up, why should I listen to you? I don't even know who you are! You could be some loony trying to take my organs! I've heard about you mob guys! What're you trying to pull here!?"  
Rocky got increasingly louder, almost trying to make a scene to protect himself from the stranger he didn't know.

Mordecai shut the door again and pursed his lips, bringing a hand up to cover Rocky's mouth.  
"You're asking too many questions and you are being far too loud. Understand that I am trying to help you. I could very easily leave you here to bleed out of your head if you'd prefer."  
He replied in a stern whisper.  
"Quite honestly, I am tempted to do just that. It would save me from ruining yet another suit."

The tabby's ears flicked up at the sound of the door shutting. Then was taken aback at the hand that flew over his mouth. The other man was being quite stern with him, and being the proud American that he was, Rocky did not like to be spoken down to like a child.  
So... Rocky licked the hand that covered his mouth.

Mordecai once again reeled back, removing his hand from the cat's mouth with a repulsed grunt. After a moment, he let Rocky go entirely and held his hand away from the rest of him as if he'd touched some horrid raw sewage, yet remained composed.  
"Very well, have it your way. You've tried my patience enough for one lifetime."  
Mordecai stated as he returned to where he'd been perched before the entire interruption, taking the bottle of cleaning solution and used some of its contents to clean his hand from the saliva of the beastly-mannered idiot.  
He then haphazardly and uncharacteristically packed the medical kit and set it on the small table, then unrolled his sleeves and put his coat on.

This was far from the pleasant morning he'd planned to have, and he didn't even have the chance to find any sort of information he had initially come for. Such a waste of time. Mordecai went to put the kit back where he had found it as well as the book he'd been indulging in.

"Well, Mr. Rickaby, I'd say it was a pleasure, however, that statement would be simply and utterly untrue."  
The tuxedo cat stated as he adjusted his spectacles, walking toward the doors of the library as to escape.  
"I do hope you enjoy your time as a helpless, unsighted imbecile."  
He finished as he opened the door and stepped out nonchalantly.

"WAIT!"  
Rocky called, falling to the ground.  
"You know my name!?"  
He shook his head, futilely trying to relieve his eyesight of blood.  
"So you're not a stranger!? Why didn't you say so?!"  
His voice started to tremble, the tabby on the verge of tears, and not just from the blood in his eyes.

"I have trust issues sometimes... ya know? Especially when I can't see a darned thing. Pardon my outbursts... I'll go quietly... Mr.... whoever you are. I trust you."  
Rocky sat there in a heap on the floor, upset with himself that he didn't trust someone who knew his name in the first place.

Mordecai paused in his tracks, his eyes staying front and his ears listening intently to the pleas being thrown at him. His brows furrowed slightly as his gaze moved to the floor, and then to the pathetic heap of trembling fur to his left.

"I suppose... it is _somewhat_ my fault for not saying anything, though, even if I had, I have a feeling you would have rejected my offer regardless of your current needs."  
Mordecai sighed, closing the library door again, and stepped to stand beside the helpless ball, kneeling down now.

Rocky listened carefully as the other cat closed the door once again. His whiskers extended, sensing the other moving quietly towards him and feeling his presence once bent down in front of him. He was thankful the other had listened to his apology and reconsidered.

"Is my voice not familiar to you? Perhaps, to a _neonatal equus callabus_ , oblivion is inevitable in all situations."  
He stated quietly, laying that hint right out plain as day to even the blind.

"Did you just call me a cannibal hor..... YOU!"  
The tabby backed up a bit on his hands and behind, tail bristling in shock.  
"How... why... what are you doing here?"  
He wanted to get up and run, but was in no condition to do so, he needed help whether he liked it or not. As if on cue, realizing who it was and remembering that face, his heart started to pound once again.

That was more or less the reaction Mordecai had been expecting, though, with a bit more punching. He was grateful that wasn't a part of it.

"As I've said, you're asking too many questions."  
He replied simply as he stood again.  
"Either accept the help as I am offering or I will be on my way. I don't have time for foolish antics such as this."

Although Rocky was irritated to have found himself at the mercy of... _this guy_ , he didn't have much choice considering his current state.  
"...fine."  
Reluctantly, the tabby held out his blood-covered hand to the tuxedo cat.

Taking his coat off and rolling up his sleeves again, Mordecai nodded and hesitantly took the cat's hand, effectively getting blood on his white fur that resembled gloves.  
"I suppose we wouldn't have time to stop at your dormitory for clothes."  
He observed as he helped Rocky up, still under the assumption that he was a student here, and once again wrapped his arm supportively around his waist to help him stabilize.

As soon as that paw hit his hip and arm around his waist, Rocky's heart jumped into his throat. What was this feeling? He'd never experienced this before. Thank goodness Mordecai was supposedly taking him to the hospital so he could get his chest examined as well.

"Say, Mordi..."  
He swallowed the lump in his throat.  
"I know you don't have to help me and all, but I really appreciate it."

Once again, the black and white cat stopped, mulling that over for a moment or two. He'd never been thanked for something like this. It wasn't often that he was thanked at all; only given his payment and sent on his way. Not to mention it wasn't often that he helped anyone either.

His gaze slowly moved to look at the vulnerable tabby, a look of sincere confusion taking control of his features. He didn't know how to respond to it, so he just continued as he was before the delay.  
"Remember what I said. Keep your eyes closed and don't make a sound."  
Of course, if anyone had been around, surely they would have heard the commotion and come running. Either way, they couldn't run any risks.

Mordecai slowly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway once again, this time with his arm full of a defenseless mound; maybe even scared considering how he was trembling, or that was the blood loss finally setting in. Maybe he was cold?

Putting an arm around the other's neck, Rocky leaned into Mordecai's side to help keep himself upright. He was starting to feel woozy from the blood loss and adrenaline crash.  
"Hey uhhhh... Mordi,"  
He said in a stupor.  
"I ain't feelin' so good..."  
The tabby's tail started to drag on the ground, his pace becoming more sluggish. He was losing too much blood now and was beginning to pass out. Thank goodness the tuxedo cat had a good grip on him.

Mordecai knew it was only a matter of time before this would take hold, so he stopped and adjusted accordingly, shifting Rocky so that he was hanging off of his back, the tuxedo cat proceeded to carry the limp feline out to his car. He didn't seem to care that there was blood starting to cover him.

"You'll be alright..."  
He huffed, not being the strongest of cats out there, so this was a bit of a struggle.  
"Just try to... keep talking. Continue with that ridiculous twaddle you're always spewing."  
He said as he trudged onward.

Rocky tried his best to think of what to talk about. No one had ever asked him to _keep_ talking before, only ever to shut his cakehole. Pancakes that is.

"The capital of Washington D.C. is now the state of Florida, please plan your date night accordingly. Frogs will infest your bathroom on the night of a full moon due to the weather conditions in the city of Paris. Please be advised to always wear galoshes when you enter the Queen's throne room."  
He was delirious and speaking absolute nonsense until he couldn't remember what was going on anymore.  
"This is a fun piggyback ride but... where we goin', Freck?"

Mordecai wasn't paying attention to the absurdities being tossed left and right. At least he was still conscious.  
"To the hospital. Keep going."  
He nodded, strategically lifting his foot and pushing the door open, finally seeing where he'd parked his automobile just ahead.

The tabby continued to make nonsensical statements.  
"So there's this guy, tall guy, good lookin', kinda quiet. Then he meets this fellah, kinda shorter. Blonde, not bad lookin' either. Speaks Italian. They have a shadow friend who's scary as get out. So they have this forbidden love thing goin' on. I don't mind it. I'm open-minded. I'd keep their secret."  
He coughed and blood trickled down his face again.  
"Blonde guy is from this nasty family, sister's okay though. Real sheba. She's okay with their love. She's a bit loony herself. They're part of 'the family', ya see. So they's some bad news. Thank god dad doesn't know about this queer love his son's got goin' on."  
He waved his hand lazily in the air.

Mordecai nodded as he pulled his keys from his pocket as they drew near.  
"That sounds awfully fascinating. Why don't you tell me about..."  
Now he was kind of put on the spot. He never let his mind wander to stupid and whimsical places but he had to keep Rocky engaged in conversation.  
"Tell me about pancakes and syrup."  
There we go, a topic that he knew that Rocky would be able to go on and on about.

Eyes widening, pupils dilating and mouth starting to drool, Rocky paused and started to purr lightly.

It was the expression alone, even before the talking, that Mordecai realized that this was a mistake; but he understood that keeping Rocky talking was the best thing for him.

"Pancakes... that sounds amazing right now! Did you know syrup was invented by the Russians and Canadians in 1495 when they met in Scotland for the first time?!"

Removing Rocky's undershirt and wrapping his suit jacket over his shoulders instead, to help keep him somewhat warm, Mordecai used the shirt to cover the wound as Rocky seemed to drone on with clearly false information even after he'd finished and gotten into the driver's side, started the car and sped to the hospital.

"The Scotts didn't want anything to do with it because they already had potato waffles. They're crazy I say, pancakes are the more superior of breakfast foods. Until the Irish came over, did you know the Irish and the Scotts hate each other? Probably 'cause the Scotts put molasses on their waffles and cakes. No pancakes for them though. The Scandinavians however,"  
He continued after taking a large breath of air.  
"Brought over some domesticated fir trees to harvest peaches from. They liked preserves on their scones and crepes. But the French... OHHH THE FRENCH! They were beyond upset at the fact the Russians had stolen their idea for the crepes and took them over to the Scandinavians. Then the Italians had dances under the stars when they were feeling romantic with their German partners."  
Rocky paused for a moment. You could clearly hear his brain fizzling out.

"ANYWHO. Yeah, so the Danish will always be my favorite country because they've provided us with the pancake. Also in the year 1689, did you know, they had just a gas of a time trying to figure out how to get rid of their fly problem? They decided that small pocket-sized chameleons would do the job. So everyone was given a pocket chameleon! Some people, now this is silly, grew so attached to these little fella's! They'd find partners for them and throw small, yet elaborate weddings for them! Small tux's and hats... the works! Even small wedding cakes. It was the cutest thing! After the chameleons were married though they had no interest in flies anymore, they all became vegetarians! How great is that! The lawns in people's front yards never looked better though considering the chameleons would eat all the weeds and dandelions-"

It was just after four-thirty in the morning, so the streets were pretty clear all the way to their destination. Sure, he felt like ripping his ears off by the time they'd arrived, but Rocky was still alive and breathing. That was the goal.

Mordecai helped Rocky out of the car and rushed him into the building, making sure the coat stayed over his weak body. It didn't take long for nurses to take the bleeding and endlessly babbling man off of his hands, watching as he was taken elsewhere to be properly patched.

He was taken out of his trance when a nurse started trying to get his attention with some papers.  
"Hm? Oh, yes, of course."  
The black and white, and now somewhat red cat nodded, taking the papers and a pen, starting to fill them out.

Afterward, Mordecai paid the fee and gave the nurses station a number code to call to alert the employer of Rocky's whereabouts, only knowing of her contact information, and left the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

It was now just after nine in the morning, Mitzi and Calvin by Rocky's gurney.

"Gosh, he looks near death..."  
Mitzi sighed, looking at the orange and white tabby.  
"Are you sure you don't know what happened? I've tried to get ahold of Ivy so she could come, but she's got classes this morning that she can't miss. She doesn't know anything about this coat either."

Calvin shrugged and looked down at his cousin with a concerned expression for a moment.  
"They said he should be fine to leave now..."  
He said as he poked Rocky's cheek.  
"Maybe he's dead?"

"Oh no, don't be silly. He's just... mangled and traumatized. I thought for sure you would have seen him like this at least once in your lives."  
Mitzi tutted.  
"Come on, sweetie. Rise and shine."  
She continued softly, lightly patting Rocky's cheek.

The tabby winced, whiskers protruding and falling back as he felt people touching his face.  
"Mordi, wouldja stop pokin' me? I'm awake! I'm awake! Jeez!"  
Eyes still full of sleep when he opened them, there was more than one figure in front of him but they were all blurry.  
"Mordecai? That you?"  
Questioning and rubbing his eyes. Once his vision cleared he realized his cousin and Miss M were standing in front of him.

"What... where am I? Where's Mordecai?"  
He looked down at himself, realizing he was in a hospital bed covered in a light blue sheet and... a suit coat?

Mitzi and Calvin looked at each other and then down at Rocky.  
"Honey, what kind of medication did they put you on for you to be dreaming about Mordecai?"  
The woman asked, her worry very clearly getting worse.

Calvin seemed to agree with her on that one, considering his worried expression became more pronounced as well.

"Maybe the man that found you was a different Mordecai. I'm sure there are lots of them around here."  
Mitzi continued.

Sitting up gingerly, as to not aggravate his stitches, and also not being able to go any faster, Rocky looked over at his two companions.

"No Miss M, Freck, I swear! Mordecai was the one who brought me here."  
He scratched his chin.  
"He repeated something only his ritzy behind would call someone that made me know it was him... a cannibal horse somethin' or other."  
He grabbed the coat lapels and gestured them at the two.  
"Look, see?! This coat doesn't even fit me! It's his!"

"Honey, your clothes are already baggy on you."  
Mitzi stated.

"Someone found you on the side of the road. He brought you here, paid the bill, and then left..."  
Calvin relayed what Mitzi had told him.

"Does that sound like something Mordecai would ever do?"  
Mitzi asked.  
"Well, the leaving part sounds about right, but everything else doesn't add up."  
She added more for her own sake than anyone else's.  
"Come on, when we get back, I'll make you a nice stack of pancakes. That should get your mind thinking right again."

Rocky had to admit... these two were making a lot of sense.  
"I mean... that does sound right... but I swear it was him!"

"No need to shout, Rocky. You'll wake the dead."  
The woman sighed.

"Then again... I didn't see his face. Maybe it was just a coincidence?"  
Rocky took a sniff of the suit coat he was wearing. It sure smelled like Mordecai. He couldn't forget that smell.   
Cologne... earthy, old books but not dusty old books. 

He touched his bandages lightly and flicked his tail a bit at the pain he experienced.  
"I could've sworn that was him."  
Slowly, he dropped his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed onto Calvin for support.

Mitzi started walking out as the two gentlemen staggered on behind her out of the room.  
"Now, I've already signed your papers and everything. You're a free man again."

Rocky pondered to himself on what kind of man would pay a hospital bill for a total stranger. It had to be the actual Mordecai... then again he doubted someone who hates his guts and finds him absolutely revolting would pay for his hospital bill too...

"Hey Freckle, ya think Mordecai could actually be a nice guy? I mean... a total stranger wouldn't pay for someone else's hospital bill, right? Am I thinkin' too much about this..."   
The tabby trailed off thinking more to himself out loud than really expecting an answer from his cousin; especially since Calvin didn't even know Mordecai.

"I think you are..."  
Calvin replied quietly as the three of them walked the halls. From what he saw of Mordecai those two times, that cat didn't seem like a very nice man; not nice enough to pay for someone's hospital visit especially.   
"Maybe the man who brought you here accidentally hit you and felt bad about it?"  
He suggested.

"Hmmmmm, me getting hit by a car doesn't sound too far-fetched, to be honest."  
Even though Rocky wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, he wouldn't deny how unlucky he could be at times. Lucky enough to _survive_ perhaps, but not leave without injury. The trio made their way out of the hospital without interruption and got into Mitzi's car.   
Calvin got into the driver's seat this time, Rocky was in no condition to drive.

As soon as they all made it back to the Little Daisy safely thanks to Calvin's tame driving skills, Mitzi had Calvin sat with Rocky at one of the booths while she went back to the kitchen to make Rocky's breakfast. Normally Ivy would have done it, but as it had been stated, she had school to attend.

The orange and white tabby sat quietly, looking at the bandages on his cousin's head.  
"Does it hurt?"  
He asked.

Rocky looked up at his forehead, only seeing white bandages this time instead of a waterfall of red.  
"I mean... it hurts a little but the drugs are still taking effect so I'm okay for now. Even better once I get those pancakes in me!"  
Smiling a bit, he grabbed his nearby fork and started to play with it between his fingers to keep himself occupied. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he swore it was Mordecai that helped him out. His heart did the thumping thing again in his chest at the thought of the black and white cat.

"There it is again! I was so out of it, I forgot to ask the doctors about this heart condition I've been having..."  
Rocky stated this quietly under his breath, hoping his cousin wouldn't hear him. He didn't want him to worry more about his health after the scare they had that morning with the hospital visit.

Unfortunately, he did hear it.  
"Heart condition? What do you mean?"  
Calvin asked, tempted to go to the kitchen and tell Mitzi about it.  
"Is it bad? Tell me what's wrong."

The tabby grabbed the suspenders on his cousin before he could even try and get up from their booth.  
"SHHHHH!!! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"  
Shouting in a whisper at his cousin, he brought their noses close together.   
"Ya can't tell Miss M about this, okay!? I don't want her to worry! She has enough on her plate as it is!"  
Rocky's eyes bulged and his pupils narrowed as he was on high alert.  
"Promise me, if I tell you about this you'll keep it secret, okay?!"

Calvin's eyes widened and his ears folded back as he was yanked, eyes crossing slightly just so that he could meet his cousin's gaze.   
He quickly nodded.  
"O-Okay, I... promise."  
He didn't like making promises, but if it meant that Rocky would confide in him about whatever was wrong, he guessed his silence was a fair trade-off. He just hoped it wasn't anything too serious.

"Okay, look...."  
Taking a deep breath, Rocky let go of his cousin but was still leaning in close so he could whisper.  
"I don't know what's wrong with me, but my chest... my heart, has been pounding lately periodically. I'm not sure what's going on. It feels like a heart attack, I swear it!"  
He placed a paw on his chest, absent-mindedly stroking the lapels on the coat he was wearing still. There it was again, a hard thump.  
"Then there's a lump in my throat that's hard to swallow, and then the butterflies in my stomach appear."  
He grasped the lapels and swallowed the lump in his throat he just spoke about.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Freck! I don't wanna _die_! I have so much more life in me!"  
He laid the emphasis on the word 'die' like the drama queen he was.

"I don't want you to die."  
Calvin agreed, shaking his head a little, but then a thought came to mind.  
"I don't want to die either. I have the same sort of things happen to me when Ivy's around. Do you think I gave it to you? Whatever it is?"

The tabby's ears folded flat against his skull.  
"You get it too?! How long has this been going on?! Why didn't you tell me earlier!?"  
Shooting back up from his seat, effectively knocking over the whole table against his cousin, the silverware, water cups, and napkins falling to the seat on either side of Calvin, Rocky grabbed his cousin's suspenders once more and shook him vigorously.  
"ARE WE BOTH GOING TO DIE!? WHAT IS THIS?! WERE WE CURSED BY SOME BOG WITCH?! We were at the creek the other night dumping various fluids..... WAS THAT THE WITCH'S CREEK?! DID WE MAKE HER MAD!? OH NO!"  
Rocky was frantic now.

"Oh god, I don't know!"  
Calvin cried, now getting worked up just because Rocky was.  
"I'm not ready to die, Rocky!"

"What on earth is all this fuss about?"  
Mitzi called from the door that led to the kitchen, hearing the rabid commotion from the other room.  
"No one is dying. You boys fix that mess you made, would you? Your pancakes are almost ready."  
She said with a small roll of her eyes as she went back to tend to the breakfast.

The boys froze, not meaning to make a scene so loud that Mitzi heard. Rocky turned back to his cousin and whispered loudly.  
"Who do we go to in this, our hour of need?! I don't understand what's going on?! Curse... medical condition!? Who could possibly help us!? Who would know about curses?!"  
His face now cheek to cheek with his cousin's looking off into the distance dramatically.

"I don't know, Rocky. The only one I can think of is my mother, but if she heard we were dabbling with witchcraft, that would be the end of us..."  
Calvin said, tone still extremely worried.  
"I'm scared, Rocky. I think we might die no matter what if that's our only option..."

"You're probably right... I don't wanna get my tail handed to me either by that madwoman for getting her baby into trouble... Viktor would laugh at us, I feel..."  
Rocky scratched his chin.  
"Can't go to Ivy, in case she's the start of all this... I don't want her worryin' about dying after all that hard studying she's doing..."  
He let out a huff.  
"Our only option left is Miss M... she may need to start lookin' for new muscle now if we are bound to perish..."  
Rocky stood up straight and brushed the dust off of his person that came from flipping the table. He held out a hand for his cousin to take, helping him from the booth.

"I'm scared my mother is going to bring us back from the dead and kill us herself for this..."  
Calvin sighed, his entire body drooping from the thought.

"Miss M... we need to have a word with you."   
He cleared his throat and squeaked out.

Mitzi just so happened to be leaving the kitchen with a big plate of pancakes and a jug of syrup.  
"What's that, honey? Sit down and have your 'hooray, you didn't die on us' celebration breakfast."  
She smiled, setting it all out of the table for Rocky. She knew that Freckle had already eaten breakfast and wasn't currently hungry, so there was nothing for him.

With a dead-serious expression on his face, Rocky gestured to Mitzi to have a seat. She cocked a brow and sat down across from the boys.  
"Look, Miss M...."  
He began solemnly.  
"I don't want to alarm you but..."  
He looked at Calvin who nodded in encouragement.  
"But I think you should probably find yourself some new runners soon. I have some bad news."

Mitzi had a look of concern on her face at the mention of bad news. She didn't need any more of that this year... or ever.  
"Rocky, honey, what on earth are you talking about?"  
She reached across the table and took his paw into hers.   
"I would never want to look for anyone else."  
Probably because he worked for dirt cheap or just pancakes.

"You don't understand, Miss M!"  
He looked over at Calvin, he nodded.  
"We are dying Miss M. I'm positive we were cursed by a bog witch. It all started when Freckle here was getting heart palpitations and tummy butterflies around Ivy! We think she's patient zero but we don't want to tell her just yet, since she's working so hard on her studies and all."  
Rocky shook his head in defeat.

As the symptoms were listed, Mitzi knew exactly what was going on, but she kept her mouth shut with a knowing and amused smirk, letting Rocky have his moment.

"She's so young too... mind you, Freck and I are pretty much spring chickens ourselves."  
He grasped the lapels of the coat again, his heart pounding with the grip. Mitzi caught that little detail out of the corner of her eye.   
"Then Freckle here decided to give it to me!"

"Hey! I didn't decide anything! The witch cursed us both at the same time!"

"Not true! Mine only started a few days ago! Yours started when you met Ivy!"  
Rocky snapped at his cousin, putting his face in his paws.  
"Look, Miss M, we just don't want you to be out of protection and hooch runners when we... bite the big one, ya see?"  
The tabby's ears flattened in sadness, his tail wrapped around himself in a makeshift hug.

"Oh, I do see, sweetie. I know exactly what you have too."  
She replied nonchalantly as she inspected her dainty claws.  
"Everyone gets those weird feelings at least once in their lives. Myself included."

"THE WITCH GOT TO YOU TOO?!"  
Rocky's eyes filled with tears. He wanted to hug Mitzi.  
"HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE MISS M?!"  
He shouted even though she was sitting right there across the table from him.  
"Does this mean the curse is slow acting?! Do we have years of this agony left before us?!"  
He feigned exasperation, falling against his cousin who was now blushing, catching Mitzi's drift faster than Rocky apparently.

"Rocky, honey, calm down. You're going to hurt yourself and we can't afford the return visit to the hospital."  
The lady giggled, reaching across and lightly patting Rocky's arm.  
"No one is dying because of this. You've just found yourself a little crush on someone, that's all it is."  
She smiled.   
"Trust me, it's not fatal."

"Crush..."  
Rocky stared wide-eyed at Mitzi.   
He didn't understand, who could he possibly have had a crush on? The only dames he'd been around were Miss M and Ivy... and his aunt. He shuddered at the last one. Mitzi being too old, and Ivy a bit young and not to his taste. 

The only other cats he'd been around were the band, Viktor, Wick, Asa, and Morde... his heart thumped in his chest as if it was a sign from the heavens. The tabby clutched at his chest, grabbing the suit coat at the same time, his heart giving another strong thump as he realized he was still wearing it.  
"Oh... oh no... that's not possible..."  
Rocky began to sweat bullets.

Mitzi laughed softly with a nod of her head.  
"It _is_ possible because that's exactly what it is."  
She paused, her smile growing a bit.  
"While you eat, why don't you tell me about her?"  
She figured a little conversation about his infatuation might help him come to terms with all of this.   
It did amuse her quite a bit, seeing Rocky so confused about this thing he seemed to be experiencing for the first time in his life.

Rocky wasn't sure what to say. This kinda thing wasn't exactly allowed. He himself didn't mind if others were like this, but he never expected to be this way himself. It made sense, he did find both sexes attractive.

"Well, ya see Miss M... I don't think it's a dame attracted to..."  
He scratched the back of his head nervously.

Mitzi rolled her eyes.  
"Yes, we know that pancakes will only ever be the love of your life. You've had this rant just last week, honey."  
She started to get up and head back to the kitchen.  
"Anyway, now that we know you're not actually dying, I have to clean up the kitchen a bit."

Calvin seemed to catch onto what it was that Rocky was actually implying, staring intently at him.

The tabby stared blankly as Mitzi walked back into the kitchen.  
"Well... at least we aren't dying, but... I still don't understand what I'm supposed to do now."  
Rocky looked at his cousin.

"Who?"  
Calvin decided to ask, making sure to keep his voice down so their conversation wouldn't make it back to Mitzi. It wasn't known what her standing on this sort of thing was, so it was always better safe than sorry.

"Promise, you'll keep it to yourself, Freck..."

Calvin nodded, putting his left hand over his chest and holding his right hand up in a silent promise.

"It's... Mordecai."  
Blushing viciously now, Rocky looked down at his clenched fists. He couldn't believe he just opened up like this to his cousin.  
"What do I do, Freckle? This isn't right... well... not socially acceptable at least. What if the police find out?!"  
He started sweating through the blush, tears welling in his eyes. Rocky was legitimately scared now.

The orange and white tabby felt his heart sink at seeing his cousin in such a state of mind, so he carefully put a hand on Rocky's shoulder.  
"It'll be alright. This isn't the worst thing you've done."  
He began, doing his best to keep his cousin from having a meltdown.  
"You can't really control this either..."

Rocky's face scrunched up, in sadness, happiness at understanding, and fear at societal rejection. He was usually so happy-go-lucky, not sure his cousin ever saw him like this before. Sure, there were crushes in the past but none of them felt like this for him. The tabby leaned against his cousin to hide his tears, not wanting Mitzi to see him in this state.

"I think... we should go. I don't want Miss M to see me like this."

Calvin wrapped his arms around Rocky gently and rubbed his back.  
"You're really upset about this, huh? You didn't even touch your pancakes and it's been five minutes..."  
That in itself was extremely concerning. They should have been gone by now.  
"Where did you want to go? Wherever it is, I'll stay with you."

"Part of me wants to find that bastard and prove myself this ain't real...."  
He hugged his cousin back. He didn't want this to be real, he didn't want to be seen like this, even by his cousin.   
"I'm not sure where we could go, Freckle. Somewhere... out of the way of prying eyes of the public. To rest my weary head in solitude..."

Nodding, the smaller tabby let go and moved out of the booth to stand.  
"How about we just drive around? That way we aren't in one spot for too long."  
He smiled a bit, really wanting to help with this situation. He knew that his cousin was really torn up about this and wanted to do everything he possibly could to help.  
"You know you're safe with me."

"Thanks, Freckle, you're a stand-up guy."  
He slapped Calvin's back a couple of times as a thank you. Rocky was feeling a tiny bit better after getting that off his chest, so he grabbed a couple of pancakes on the way out of the cafe.

"Thanks again for driving too, cousin."  
Rocky stuffed a pancake in his mouth before stepping outside.

Calvin smiled a little and poked his head into the kitchen before he followed.  
"Um... Miss M? I'm going to take Rocky out for a drive. He's kind of upset about his... crush. I just thought you'd want to know where we went off to."

Mitzi waved her hand with a smile.  
"Honey, you're both adults that are off the clock. There's no need to tell me where you're off to. Go on, shoo!"  
She said.

Calvin nodded with a smile in return, then grabbed the plate of pancakes for the road and met Rocky in the car, holding the plate out for him to take.  
"Here. They might help. You can put them on your arms if you want. I know how much you like that."

As much as Rocky would love to put the pancakes on his arms, he was wearing Mordecai's coat. He didn't want to ruin it with the sugary, sweet goodness that is pancakes.

"Thanks, Freck, have I told you how you're the coolest cousin a guy could ask for?"  
Once again slapping his back, Rocky took the pancakes and started to scarf them down as if they were going to run away.

"So... Ivy huh?"  
Rocky smirked a bit at the orange and white cat to change his focus.

Calvin rolled his eyes and started the car with a bit of a huff.  
"Yeah..."  
He muttered as he shifted the gear into drive and laid his foot gently on the gas.  
"I mean... maybe. I don't know..."

Rocky's smile fell a little. He wanted to support his cousin as much as he just supported him back at the cafe.

"Well, if you ever wanted to talk about it, I'm all ears."  
The tabby wiggled his ears at the cue.  
"'Cept I might miss a few things... cuz ya know."  
He pointed at the chip in his ear. Rocky was feeling a little better after getting some fresh air and some delicious pancakes in him. He didn't realize how famished he was until he took his first bite before getting into the car.

Calvin smiled a little, glancing at Rocky and even giving a small laugh at the small nudge to the joke about the missing bit of his ear.  
"Yeah, thanks. The same goes for you, you know."  
He said, wiggling his own ears in return.  
"Can I ask you something though?"

"Fire away, cus."  
Saying this with an already full mouth, and shoving more pancake in.

Calvin wasn't exactly sure how to ask this or if he should. He didn't want to send Rocky into another panic over his little crush.  
"What is it about Mordecai that has you all fluffy?"

Rocky knew this was coming. He was afraid of this exact question.

"Look... Freck... I have no idea... just, the first time I laid eyes on him... up close and personal when I was about to give him the business end of my fist for lunch...."  
Rocky balled up his fist and looked down at it with a puzzled look on his face.  
"It just... kinda hit me back in the face. That's when the heart problems started. His eyes... that smoldering look in them got me all... fuzzy in the head. It's like I almost couldn't control my thoughts anymore. My brain was filled with fog."

Calvin nodded along as he listened to everything his cousin had to say about it. It really made him think though.  
"So, um... did it hit you right away or was it more of a delayed hit? I know I caught you before you could take the shot and I could tell that if I didn't stop you, you would have gone all in..."

"I... I don't know... my brain... my _heart_...."  
Rocky grasped the edges of Mordecai's coat. His heart was pounding again at the thought of still wearing it... the coat hugging his body, Mordecai indirectly hugging him. The blush in his face began to rise again.  
"Freckle... that's a loaded question."  
Rocky stared out the window and ate another pancake.

"Sorry... I don't mean to add to the stress."  
Calvin sighed, glancing over at his cousin and seeing the intense blush taking over Rocky's face.  
"Another question, if you don't mind... are you sure it was him that helped you last night?"

Rocky looked down at the coat around his shoulders.  
"I'm positive... I think. This is his coat, I swear!"  
He paused for a moment. Knowing Mordecai, what little he knew of him at the moment, he seemed like the kinda guy that would label his underwear by days of the week. He slipped off the jacket and began to search for a tag somewhere. Maybe he wrote his name on it.

Calvin looked over for a moment, then back at the road.  
"Check the pockets too. That might be a little invasive, but whoever it was left it for you."  
He said, focusing on the road now, knowing that Rocky would give a progress report for anything he found.

Rocky frantically searched the outer pockets, then the inner pockets.

"Bingo!"  
He shouted, startling Calvin a bit. Rocky pulled a small handkerchief and a small marigold flower out of the pocket. There was a large "M" monogram on the small piece of fabric.  
"There! That proves that this is Mordecai's coat! This is his initial and 'calling card'."

"How can you be sure? 'M' could stand for anything."  
The orange and white tabby said, glancing over again for a second.

Rocky thought about that for a minute.  
"You could be right, Freckle. How could I be so sure..."  
He was officially stumped. He was sure it was Mordecai... the insult, the meticulous handwork on the bandages.

"Now, I don't know Freck..."  
He lowered the handkerchief into his lap, thinking about how he could be wrong and how he could be overthinking this whole thing.

"I would say we go find him and see if he would want his coat back, but I don't know if that would be a very good idea..."  
Calvin said with a bit of a shrug, thinking about the dangers in that scenario.

"Why wouldn't that be a good idea? You think with a coat this nice, he would want it back right?"  
Rocky was titillated at the thought of having an excuse to see the tuxedo cat again.

"Well, what if it's not really his coat? What then?"

Rocky hadn't thought of that.  
"You're right about that, Freck, but..."  
He looked Calvin straight in the eyes.  
"WE'LL NEVER KNOW TILL WE ASK HIM RIGHT?!"  
His right eye twitched in excitement.

Calvin's ears folded back a bit in mild fear at the idea. That maniac look in his cousin's eyes always meant that they were about to embark on a questionable and probably dangerous adventure.  
"Rocky, we don't even know where he is. We don't know where he would be or will be..."

Rocky looked down at the marigold in his hand.  
"Well... we have this as a clue?"  
He held up the small flower.  
"Maybe we could see if we can find where these guys hang out?"  
He paused, scratching his chin.  
"Or, since he helped me at the university, we could find him there again?"  
The tabby's ears drooped and his face grew a little red.  
"To be completely honest here, Freck... I kinda just want to see him again."

"I can tell... you're never this insistent on finding someone."  
Calvin replied, taking one hand off of the wheel and reaching over to pat his cousin's shoulder.  
"It'll be okay... I think we'll run into him again soon and you can return the coat. Maybe see if he has a reason for helping you."

The tabby's eyes shifted back and forth a little embarrassed about himself being so forthcoming about meeting this other man randomly again.  
"Yeah, you're probably right... I need to relax a bit."

"Well, I know it's kind of hard to, so I don't blame you."  
The orange and white tabby stated with a bit of a shrug.  
"Just... don't force it. Kind of let it happen naturally, you know?"

"Yeah, I catch what you're sayin'."  
Looking out the window of the car, watching passerby's, Rocky imagined the last time he saw Mordecai walking randomly down the street. He wanted so badly for that to happen again, and he couldn't figure out why.  
Why was this affecting him so hard so fast? It could be that he lost his mother early in life, and the kindness the tuxedo cat showed him that night reminded him of his own mother and the love that she showed him when he scraped his knees or elbows whilst playing in the yard with his cousin all those years ago.

"We'll just keep driving and see if we can catch him on the street again, I guess."  
Calvin sighed.

If he was honest, he would like to be there when Rocky found the cat he was currently longing for. Just to see what the outcome was, as well as be there just in case things go south and Rocky needed comfort again. Rejection, no matter who you were, was never fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Since the incident in the college library a few days ago, Mordecai had some difficulties with keeping his focus during his working hours. Not because of the cat the events occurred with, but more because he was down a coat and handkerchief.

Due to the fact that he'd forgotten to take it back before leaving, he was left with an odd number of coats in his wardrobe that didn't match up with the number of other garments he had.   
Eight vests, eight blazers, eight pairs of pants, eight pairs of socks, eight sets of undergarments, but only seven suit jackets and seven handkerchiefs. It was infuriating, knowing that his wardrobe was so out of order.  
Everyone knew that from numbers one to nine, eight was the only number with perfect symmetry whether you set the line vertically or horizontally. Of course, the number one was debatable depending on how one wrote it, but that was completely based on opinion.

Of course, he couldn't let that stop him in his tracks with work and other daily tasks, but it did make him itch and the voice in the back of his head wouldn't stop poking him about it.

Now that he'd finished a job with two of his incessantly irritating co-workers, the black and white tuxedo cat was walking down by the river late in the evening, his sense of hearing purposefully elevated to help him detect anyone or anything that could have been lurking about.  
As he walked down the hill beside the bridge to dispose of a few items that would immediately be linked to the crime of the evening, he took one more careful look around before reaching into his jacket and removed a bloodied ax.

It wasn't the cleanest of jobs he'd ever participated in, but it was finished and it wouldn't be spoken of again.  
Mordecai made sure to wipe the handle off with a rag he had before taking another quick look around with his green pools for eyes, pupils dilated to allow more light in, then turned toward the rushing water again, reeled the ax back, and cast it as far out as he could, leaving it to be forgotten with a final splash.  
He stood silently for a few moments, simply watching the water run its course.

Rocky sat alone in his vehicle, rummaging through a box of all his old precious belongings. A lock of his mother's hair, a photograph of his mother and her sister together when they were younger by a river, dressed in their Sunday best. A tear fell from his eye; he was feeling rather lonely tonight. Freckle was busy helping his mother with chores, Ivy had exams to study for. He still had not gotten over the fact that he really wanted to see Mordecai once more. To prove to his heart and brain that these feelings were in fact caused by the tuxedo cat.

Now parked beside the river and bridge he and his cohorts frequented whilst running hooch, instead of being settled in front of the cafe, he felt the breeze from the water would do him some good. The tabby was still wearing the coat that was supposedly Mordecai's. He didn't want to take it off, even though it had been almost a week since the incident. Admittedly, it was getting a bit ripe, but Rocky couldn't care less. The second he took the coat off and threw it in the back seat, he immediately felt naked and needed to return the coat to its proper home on his own shoulders. He could still smell a bit of Mordecai on the coat and didn't want to go a minute without that smell. Not that he would admit that to anyone else.

_***Splash*  
** _

Rocky's ears perked up and whiskers stood on end. There was a loud splash that came from below the bridge.

"Most people are asleep by now... and that was too large to have been a fish."  
Rocky was speaking to himself as he got out of the car. He was one of the foolish enough cats that weren't given the warning as a child 'curiosity killed the cat', so he decided to investigate where the sound was coming from to acquire a source.

The tabby looked over the bridge and ducked as soon as he saw a dark figure.

"Must be someone disposing of a dead body... or... THE BOG WITCH. I WAS RIGHT!"  
He thought to himself. He shuffled back to his car to grab a gun, but all he had was a plunger. He rolled his eyes at himself and snagged the toiletry out of the vehicle and put his back against the wall once again.

"I'll get her, and make sure she never curses anyone ever again. Miss M will be so surprised when I tell her what I did and she was wrong all along about the crush! It was a curse after all!"  
The idiot was giddy about the fact that he was right, and made his way to the edge of the bridge to make his way down the hill.

Mordecai stood in silence as he regained his composure. Now was around the time that he would consider going to the Lackadaisy and inquire about his personal possessions, but if he was going to be honest with himself, he wouldn't be caught dead around that run-down establishment nowadays; not that he was welcome there anyway.

It was just as he was about to turn around and head back up the hill when his ears picked up on the sound of the grass and leaves crunching under feet behind him. On full alert now, Mordecai quickly moved to the left, just under a support of the bridge with his hand reaching under his coat for his gun.  
Whether the gun was entirely necessary or not wasn't quite determined yet, it was more or less a reflex by now. He knew that he was wanted in a number of places and more than likely had people looking for him.  
With narrowed eyes, the tuxedo cat waited for the unexpected and definitely unwanted intruder to round the corner before drawing his firearm.

As Rocky slowly made his way down the hill, he watched as the shadow of the bog witch made its way behind the pillar of the bridge.

"Gotcha, ya old hag. Time to meet your maker!"  
Whispering to himself as he raised the plunger over his head to strike a blow on the witch, effectively releasing him from this curse she had put on him.

Mordecai heard the whisper, not recognizing the voice. He raised a brow when he heard something about an old hag, coming to the conclusion that this was simply some kid out late one night and mistook him for an old lady of some sort. It was quite confusing to him by all means, but this child probably wasn't a threat.

With that sorted out in his head, the black and white cat released his grip on his firearm and prepared for something to be swung in his direction.  
It was at the sudden war-cry sort of scream that Mordecai saw the figure jump into his line of sight and swing an object toward him from the side. With his incredible reflexes, Mordecai grabbed the object and pulled his attacker forward, and used it as leverage to push the cat's chest into the pillar with his left forearm pushed against the back of the cat's neck.

In the blink of an eye, Rocky was disarmed and thrust against a wall violently.  
"AGGHHH SHE'S GOT ME! THE BOG WITCH GOT ME! I'M GONNA DIE!"  
The tabby's voice rang out into the night, echoing off the walls of the bridge.

Mordecai let the weapon of choice drop to his feet and held the assailant's arm firmly behind their back, however, the shrilling voice was familiar. He'd heard it within the last week which caught him off guard.  
With furrowed brows, the tuxedo cat turned the familiar tabby around so that they could be face to face, keeping his forearm against the throat of one he could now confidently identify as Rocky; not hard enough to crush his windpipe, of course, but enough to hold him in place and remain in control.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Rickaby?"  
Mordecai asked firmly, keeping his voice low and his bright jade eyes piercing into Rocky's very soul.

Now sweating greatly, Rocky's heart was pounding out of his chest. Not because he was caught by the bog witch, but because he was face to face with the man he had been obsessing over the last few days. Those beautiful eyes, that fierce look on his face, Rocky almost melted at the sight. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to melt, due to the fact that he was currently suffocating under the firm arm of the man in front of him.

"CAN'T BREATHE..."  
The tabby managed to squeak out with his second to last breath he had stored in his lungs.

Mordecai's firm expression relaxed ever so slightly when he realized that he was putting perhaps a tad bit too much pressure. Clearing his throat, he removed his arm from Rocky's throat and instead held his hands firmly against the tabby's chest. It was then that he noticed that his coat was on Rocky's form, or he assumed it was.

After a moment, his eyes flicked back up to Rocky's blue pools.  
"Answer my question."

When Mordecai's hands were placed on his chest, Rocky was terrified he would think his heart condition was caused by him. He took a deep breath to answer his question.  
"I'm... I thought I saw the bog witch?"  
He looked away shyly, blush beginning to fill his cheeks. His ears laid flat against his skull and his tail bristled.

"That may just be the most puerile notion I've ever heard in my life."  
The tuxedo cat replied with a roll of his eyes, then glanced down at their feet, seeing the plunger.  
"Not to mention your weapon of choice is perhaps... controversial..."  
He added with a tut, bringing his eyes up slightly, taking note of the way Rocky's tail was moving and how it was presenting, then brought his gaze up to the tabby's face.   
"Why are you red in the face? Are you still having difficulty breathing?"

Rocky's face turned even darker at that remark.  
"I didn't have a gun on me so I grabbed the most blunt object I had in my automobile."  
Curling his tail close to his body and stating that sentence very, very fast.

'Oh god, he noticed. WHAT DO I DO?!' Rocky's inner voice was panicking.

"That... raises more questions than it does answer them..."  
The black and white cat replied as he slowly removed his hands from Rocky's chest. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage and the last thing he wanted was to have another body to dispose of.

"Well, I don't exactly have time for these sorts of pleasantries. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way."  
Mordecai stated with a small clearing of his throat. He was about to turn when he remembered.  
"Ah, before I forget, I would like my coat back. I've found its absence to be something along the lines of vexatious."

"I KNEW IT!"  
Rocky did a little jig in place.  
"I knew this was your coat! You _did_ help me that morning!"  
He pointed a claw at the tuxedo cat.  
"Why were you being so nice to me? You could've left me there to bleed out, but you didn't."  
He clasped the coat around him as if it were going to fly off of his body.  
"I gotta tell Freckle that I was right!"  
The tabby did a little twirl, hands still gripping the coat. He slid up beside the other cat real smooth.  
"You're really a big softy under all that scowling and seriousness, ain'tcha Mordi?"  
Waggling his eyebrows and giving the other cat a toothy grin he flicked the tip of his tail in excitement.

Mordecai's expression turned into something quite confused and displeased at this sudden burst of energy from the overly expressive tabby, taking a few steps away from him.  
"I would prefer it if you would address me as Mr. Heller. We're far from a first name basis and I doubt we'll ever make it to that point; not to mention ridiculous nicknames."  
He stated sternly as he adjusted his spectacles, then extended his hand. He refused to acknowledge any of the other questions that were thrown at him.  
"My coat, Mr. Rickaby."

Rocky pulled away from the other cat, clasping the coat.  
"I'd rather not, it's... diiiirrrrrrrrrrtyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?"  
He stated with a questioning inflection. His heart sank a bit when he heard Mordecai say those words. He wanted this cat to want him back.  
"Ugh."  
He grunted, disgusted with the thoughts swirling around in his mind. When did he become such a lovesick schoolgirl for this man? At least his suspicions were confirmed, that Mordecai was indeed the cause of his lovesick heart palpitations.

"Uhhhh... look,"  
Rocky started, hesitant that this excuse would work, but why not try and see, right?  
"I was thinkin'... maybe I could get this dry cleaned for ya? Then we could meet up again when it's nice and sanitary. Just the way you like it. I wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting money on a total stranger by dry cleaning it before I met, if I did, the owner of said coat."  
He gave the tuxedo cat a nervous smile. God, he _really_ hoped this worked.

Mordecai's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced down at the coat that Rocky almost seemed to be protecting. He did wonder why he was wearing it in the first place, but he wasn't going to ask pointless questions such as that.   
The offer and story to follow did make a bit of sense though, and he supposed it was a reasonable exchange in terms of a favor-for-favor scenario.

"Very well."  
The black and white cat sighed, lowering his head slightly in something of defeat.  
"When will you have it cleaned by and where would you like to meet?"  
He asked, raising his head again to make proper eye contact with Rocky.

The Tabby's heart jumped in delight. He had, albeit accidentally, successfully asked the tuxedo cat out on a date.

"I'll have it ready by Friday! Want to meet at Nine Lives Club?"  
If Rocky was to only ever get one date with this man, he was going to make it count and try to make an evening out of it.  
"Drinks are on me."  
He winked at the other man nudging him in the side.

Of course, Mordecai, none the wiser and thinking this would be a quick exchange, raised a brow at the location and the following offer of drinks.

"I don't drink."  
The tuxedo cat stated bluntly.  
"Nor do I know what you're expecting of me. It is imperative that the coat returns to me as soon as possible, so, I will meet you there, you will return it to me, we will go our separate ways, and never speak of it again."  
He paused, looking at the garment that his closet had been lacking, then back up to Rocky's eyes.  
"Do I make myself clear?"

Rocky was not perturbed about being so directly shot down. His mood could not, and _would_ not be brought down.

"I guarantee, once you see my moves,"  
He did a little shimmy with his shoulders on the spot.  
"You'll be so hypnotized, you'll have no choice but to join in on the fun!"  
Giving the other man his biggest, most impressive smile, showing all his pearly whites, he shot finger guns at the other and picked up his discarded plunger.

Mordecai deadpanned, his eyes trailing up to the stitches that were still in Rocky's forehead.  
"You must still be concussed, or perhaps your skull is just incredibly thick. I will not be dancing, I will not be drinking. Friday evening at the Nine Lives."  
He stated, pulling the cuffs of his shirt and current coat as he turned on his heels to start back up the hill. He couldn't help the irritated flicking of his tail, this tabby getting on his nerves yet again.

"Suuuuuure you won't."  
Rocky teased the cat. He held the plunger over his shoulder and followed the other up the hill. The tabby didn't miss the flick of the other tail, a sign of agitation. Sweat rolled down his cheek, he didn't want to lose this other man before he even got the pleasure of getting to know him.

"So... uhhh..."  
Pausing nervously, not knowing exactly what to say.  
"Where ya headed now?"  
Like he didn't know the other was bound to be headed home at this hour, but he wanted to make small talk to help the other become less agitated with his wild antics.

Mordecai's ear twitched as he heard the tabby open his godforsaken mouth once again.  
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Mr. Rickaby, but home."  
He stated, hoping that would be enough of a satisfactory answer so that they could finally part ways.

Rocky swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He was pushing his luck.  
"Can I uh... give you a ride? I didn't see another auto up there..."  
Pressing his luck once more, his ears perked waiting in response.

The black and white cat stopped at the top of the hill, genuinely thinking about that for a moment. He couldn't tell you why he thought about it, but he did.  
To stall, he pulled his pocket watch out and held it in his hand, looking at the time with the help of the moonlight that now reached them. It was only a quarter to three, earlier than he thought it was.

"I'll have to decline. I'd rather not have you find out where I live. I'd have to move again in that case."  
Mordecai finally responded, pocketing the watch again.

"Come on, pal!"  
Rocky caught up to the other cat and placed an arm around his shoulder, causing his heart to thump once again at the mere touch of the other.  
"I insist! I don't have to drop you off at your house or anythin'. I could drop you off in the city or somethin' close like that. It's cold and late, and I'm sure you don't want the fuzz stoppin' ya and askin' why you're out so late, hmmm?"  
The arm-wrap may have been a mistake, Rocky could smell himself as soon as he lifted his arm. He hoped to high heaven the other didn't notice the smell.

Mordecai's entire body jolted into a tense state, ears folding back and fur bristling at the touch, then a shiver ran through and shook him to his very soul at the scent he caught now that there was a pause in the evening breeze.  
He understood why Rocky wanted to have the coat dry cleaned before returning it now, and he was ever grateful.

"Unfortunately, you have a point..."  
He began as he quickly stepped out of Rocky's hold.  
"Even I am not stupid enough to disregard the clear facts... so, I suppose, just this once, I will accept your offer..."  
He absolutely hated the idea, but it was late and no one would see him leaving this scrote's vehicle. It would hopefully only be a few minutes of suffering, assuming the rest of his car smelled the way he did.

"Wonderful!"  
The tabby clapped the tuxedo cat's back in excitement. Once up the hill and next to the vehicle, Rocky ran around to the side to open the door for his new bosom buddy.  
"Please, allow me!"  
He said in the most gentlemanly and well-mannered voice he could muster, between his nerves and excitement.

Mordecai's brow raised at the gesture, not entirely sure what had gotten into Rocky. He was so sporadic and inconsistent, which confused and almost frustrated the poor perfectionist.  
"Thank you..."  
He replied slowly as he carefully entered the space. The window would certainly need to be open if he was going to survive, and the state of the front seat alone made him scared to look at the back.

Something did catch his eye though, and though it was probably rude and invasive, he figured that Rocky was an open book with no shame just from the way he acted.  
Once the door closed, the tuxedo cat tilted his head to the side as his eyes caught the photograph that was in the box on the driver's side. It was filled with various knickknacks, but the photograph stood out to him the most.

Rocky was giddy with excitement that he had Mordecai in his home. The tabby made his way to the other side of the auto and jumped in the driver's seat. Facing the other, he saw that Mordecai was eyeing his most prized possessions. A little embarrassed that he had completely forgotten that the box was out in the open, he decided to pick it up and share it with the tuxedo cat anyway.

"That's my mother."  
With a solemn expression, he picked up the box and held the photograph out to Mordecai for him to take.  
"That was a long time ago, with her sister. This was taken before they had become mothers."  
He gave a soft smile to Mordecai; he loved talking about his mom. He didn't get to do it very often.

Mordecai looked at the expression on Rocky's face, noting the soft fondness it held. He gingerly accepted the photograph and further examined it. He could tell from the way the tabby spoke that his mother wasn't in his life anymore and it saddened him; something that the black and white cat could actually relate to.

"I see..."  
He slowly nodded, turning it over to check for any other information, and turned it back to the image once he found no writing, then passed it back.  
"Are you an only child?"  
He decided to ask, taking some interest in this now that it had been brought up.

"Yeah. Ma's one and only."  
He chuckled a bit.  
"I was, however, pretty much raised with my cousin, Calvin. He's the one that came to lunch with me and Miss M that day. I'm sure you remember him, shy, quiet, redhead."  
He laughed again thinking about how different he and his cousin were.  
"He's a good guy, that one."

"Yes, I recall."  
Mordecai nodded, his mind working away at solving the puzzle that was Mr. Roark Rickably.  
"His name is Calvin, but you gave him the nickname Freckle after a certain incident. That is if my memory serves me correctly and you weren't lying about any of that while heavily sedated."

Topics like these seemed to capture the tuxedo's attention when he was sort of getting to know someone. He was always trying to piece together why someone behaved the way they did with any information they would give on their past.

"I..."  
Rocky paused, not remembering any of that.  
"How in the world did you know that? I never had an extended conversation with you about my cousin before... have I?"  
After being told he was being chatty whilst being under heavy drug doses, he figured that sounded like something he would do.  
"Yeah... that sounds like me. I can't exactly control my yapper when I'm under the influence."  
He rubbed the back of his head and sighed.

"Yes, according to my memory, this is our first genuine conversation where you are not trying to fight me and are not intoxicated to some degree... I'd hope."  
Mordecai stated as he adjusted his spectacles and turned his attention to the river just ahead, seeing the way the moonlight reflexed off of the water.  
It was certainly a strange night. Finding himself immersed in conversation with an unlikely cat and having the time to stop and sort of admire the scenery. All rare occurrences.

Rocky turned the key and started the vehicle, revving the engine a bit.  
"Let's get a move on!"  
He put the auto in drive and headed towards the direction of the city.   
"I also want to clarify that I am not under the influence of any drug or alcohol this evening as well."  
He gave the other cat a smile.  
"So uuuuhhhhh, you an only child as well?"

Mordecai raised a brow and contemplated his answer for a moment. It wasn't information that could be held against him nor was it information that anyone really knew. It could have been a lie for all anyone knew.

"No, I have three sisters."  
The black and white cat replied simply, not giving any more information on that. He was going to be very selective with the questions he decided to answer.

"Oh wow,"  
He continued with his eyes on the road.  
"That must've been interesting to grow up with so many girls."  
Chuckling, he continued.  
"Where were you in the lineup? Hopefully, you weren't used as a baby doll or nothin'."

"I'm the eldest."  
He nodded, eyes still forward with a blank stare.  
"It certainly was interesting. Ambushes left and right, many china markers destroyed at the hands of an aspiring artist, absolutely no peace and quiet."  
This wasn't something he thought about often. Of course, the memories were still very much there, but they were buried and only saw the light of day once or twice a month if they were lucky.

"Sounds like a good time, to be honest. Being an only child could get rather dull. I was ecstatic when I got to visit Calvin, to my aunties dismay. We always got into some trouble together. But it sure was a fun time!"  
Rocky looked up at the night sky, reminiscing about the times when he and his cousin were younger and getting into all kinds of mischief.  
"Your sisters sound like they really loved you."  
He smiled softly at Mordecai.

The tuxedo cat's thoughts ceased at that statement, brows knitting together in confusion and ears pinning back as more thoughts about his family came into play.  
He pursed his lips and glanced across at the tabby.  
"...yes, I suppose they did..."  
He replied as he forced his ears back up and his eyes back on the road ahead for a moment before falling to his lap. It was then that Mordecai noticed his fists clenched over his thighs.

Rocky glanced over at Mordecai, his body was tense and he looked upset.  
"Sorry,"  
His ears folded down.  
"We don't have to talk about them. I was just makin' small talk. Figured it was polite to ask about your family since I was tellin' you about mine. I'll... I'll stop talkin'."  
Rocky let out a sigh and stared at the road.

"I'm goin' in the right direction yeah?"  
He had finally hit the edge of town and was coming to the traffic lights now.

"Oh, yes. The corner of Chestnut and Eighth will do fine."  
Mordecai nodded at the question, then paused for a moment to think, then spoke again.  
"You don't have to apologize for asking questions. I know I don't have to answer anything you ask. I don't think about my family often, that's all."  
He added to the previous topic with a small shake of his head.  
"Those are memories that I am willing to welcome at this moment in time, so, thank you for allowing me to indulge in them for a few minutes."

Rocky beamed at his elation. He was happy he hadn't irritated Mordecai any further. Drumming on the steering wheel a bit, he thought of the next question he wanted to ask. Something that wouldn't upset the delicate balance he currently had with his passenger.

"So, how about your mother? Four kids huh? She must've had her hands full. But honestly, you're a really intelligent individual,"  
He was trying his best to use big words in his compliment.  
"She must've been a smart cookie as well. Taughtcha a lot about everything?"

Mordecai's gaze shifted to watch out the window at the passing buildings.  
"I suppose it was both of my parents that taught me quite a bit. Of course, I also had to teach myself a lot of things, especially during my teenaged years."  
He stated almost plainly, however, caught himself and cleared his throat.  
"Parents aren't something I would like to discuss. Thank you for taking an interest, but that must end there."

"Okie Dokie."  
The tabby smiled.  
"Hey."   
He made sure to get the other's attention before he began.  
"Thanks for opening up though. I... I'm really honored."  
Rocky gave the other a small smile, then looked back at the road so he didn't miss the street signs. There was time for maybe one more question.  
"Well... where are you from? Born in St Louis?"

Mordecai was a little thrown off by all of this. Why was he being thanked for talking about things he normally wouldn't? What happened to the energetic and clownish tabby he'd met before?

"Do I seem like a St Louis man?"  
He asked, taking his mind away from his family for now.  
"New York, actually."  
He then clarified, taking his eyes off of Rocky. This action seemed a bit difficult for him, not having really seen this cat so calm and... there was another word for it, but it was escaping him currently.  
It was then that he noticed how close they were getting to where he was currently living and they would have to cease their delightfully enlightening conversation shortly.  
"And yourself?"

"Hmmm well, I'm not totally sure. I think it was St Louis but I don't recall my Ma ever talking about where I was born. We moved around a lot, ya see."  
Clearing his throat and checking the street signs, he continued as they were still a few blocks away from their destination.  
"Ma was a single parent. We had a house for a while but then she passed... and I lived with Clavin for a while before I moved out and started working for Miss M's husband; now Miss M."

Mordecai glanced Rocky's way once more, giving a bit of a nod. He recalled the day Rocky started playing in the band quite well.  
"My condolences."  
He replied with a softened voice. Again, it was something he could sort of relate to.

His green eyes shifted to watch the road once again, taking note of their location.  
"If I may ask, what are you studying for? You hardly seem like the kind to qualify for higher education. Then again, your first impression seemed to be inaccurate."

"Me? Studying?"  
A confused look came across the tabby's face.  
"Sorry, I'm not sure what you're talkin' about."  
He glanced over at Mordecai again.  
"Care to explain what you mean?"

"I'm... sorry, I was under the impression that you attended classes at the college. You stumbled into the library at an ungodly hour."  
The black and white cat stated with a raised brow.

"Oh... I see. Well, I can't say I was aware that I was in a library, to be honest! I was kinda blinded by blood. Also, I don't remember much from that morning. All I remember was waking up in a hospital bed with Miss M and Calvin by my side."  
He pat down the lapels of the coat he was wearing.  
"I also wasn't sure that it could've been you that helped me... until tonight when you asked for your coat back."  
A smile grew on his face, eyes half-lidded thinking about the kindness Mordecai showed him that morning.  
"Again, thank you for your help. You're a good guy, Mordecai."

The tuxedo cat's ears twitched a bit, once again glancing at the driver.  
"One act of decency isn't enough to redeem anyone."  
He stated plainly as they came up to the corner he requested to be released at.  
"I'm sorry to cut this short, but this will be where I bid you adieu, Mr. Rickaby. Thank you for not bludgeoning me with a plunger, and I shall see you this Friday at nine sharp."

Rocky was puzzled at the 'redeem' comment. What all had this other man done with his life to warrant such an assumption about himself. He slowly tapped the breaks until they were at a complete stop, then put the vehicle in park.

"It was nice getting to chat with you some more, Mordecai. Thanks again for your help that morning. I won't forget it. Also, I'll be sure to be punctual in my arrival at the Nine Lives!"  
The tabby saluted the tuxedo cat in an effort to get him to smile, at least once.

As the vehicle came to a stop, the tuxedo cat opened the door and stepped out with a cut nod.  
"It's Mr. Heller. Thank you kindly for the lift and have a good evening, Mr. Rickaby."  
He stated with the small correction, then shut the door behind him before starting to walk down the street, ducking into an alleyway the moment he got close to one, blending into the darkness the moment he touched it.

The evening started out fine and average, but once Rocky came around, Mordecai noticed everything shift into a disaster that slowly eased into something calm and almost pleasant. It was certainly strange.

Rocky watched as the man got out of his car.  
"Right, Mr. Heller."  
He nodded as the door was shut, giving the other a wink to clarify that he got the picture. He was still worried about dropping the man off at such an isolated location so early in the morning, but Mordecai seemed to be a man that could take care of himself easily.

"Have a good morning!"  
He spoke loud enough for the other to hear, but not wake up the whole neighborhood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note: we've got a Discord server!  
> We do a lot of art streams there, and once a month, we do request streams where you can request a doodle (rules on that are posted).  
> 🡇 Feel free to join us! 🡇  
> https://discord.gg/dT95a6EtUS

Rocky was stepping out of the shower at Calvin's place getting ready for his 'big date' tonight with Mordecai. He was so excited to be seeing the other man again, even if it was under the pretense of just returning a garment of clothing.

"Oh, Freck! You should've seen how handsome he was that night! I _knew_ this was his coat! I couldn't stop thinking about him even when he left my car. I could barely sleep! I stayed up all the rest of that morning! I hopped out of my car and ran to the cafe I was so excited! I had ivy make me the biggest stack of pancakes you ever did see! Of course, she was curious as to why I was there so early and so hungry but I couldn't bear to tell her before I told you! Even though I probably won't be telling anyone else any time soon. I trust you with this information soldier!"  
Rocky proceeded to fix his fluff in the mirror, trying to get it to dry faster by running his claws through it.

Calvin sat on his bed with a small smile as he listened to Rocky while he made himself presentable. He was really happy for him and was happy to be supporting him through this. He knew that his cousin was excited just from how he was holding himself and the fact that he spent a whole ten minutes scrubbing himself almost raw.   
"I know. You haven't stopped talking about it since you got here."  
He replied with a small laugh, recalling his cousin talking about it even through his shower.

It was a good thing that Nina had laundry to take down and hang up, the coat being one of the items to be taken down.  
Of course, with Rocky showing up with such a nice coat to be washed that didn't even fit him nor his style, the woman questioned it and wondered where he got it from, knowing that he wouldn't have been able to afford anything that nice anyway.

"I'm really happy for you, Rocky. Just make sure you're careful and don't get your hopes up. You don't know where he stands with this sort of stuff, you know?"  
Calvin continued.

The tabby was thankful that his aunt was outside of earshot.

"I know I know Freck it's just..."  
He poked his head out of the bathroom to look his cousin in the eyes.  
"I've just never felt so... _infatuated_ before. I feel like Romeo when he first laid eyes upon Juliet. I know it wasn't long for them to have met and fallen in love... but I honestly feel like that's how this is... forbidden love! Whether or not it is requited or reciprocated is beyond anyone's judgment as of now. But soon! We will know."  
He pulled his head back into the bathroom and began to brush his teeth.

Calvin laughed a little.  
"Well, he does kind of work for Miss M's enemy, not to mention the whole homosexuality thing. It's forbidden in more than one way, I guess."  
He shrugged.  
"Don't use my toothbrush!"  
He called once he remembered the last time Rocky visited.

Rocky paused, Calvin's toothbrush hanging in his mouth. He shrugged and continued to brush.  
"I know, I know. But... just _maybe_...."  
He spoke after spitting and rinsing his mouth out, giving his teeth a lick to make sure they were clean.  
"Maybe, _indirectly_ , I could show him otherwise that it's okay?"  
This man had quite an imagination, but he was feeling optimistic as per usual.

Calvin nodded a bit and kicked his legs as they hung off the edge of the bed.  
"I guess we'll wait and see."  
He said as he leaned back on his hands.  
"I hope it goes well for you, Rocky. I don't want you to be too crushed if it doesn't work..."

Rocky finished putting his pants on and doing up his tie, then slid out of the bathroom with his socks on.  
"How do I look?!"  
He flipped his fedora and gave his cousin finger guns.  
"No one can resist this mug, all done up to the nines!"  
He shot a thumb towards his large grin.

Calvin sat upright, watching Rocky slide out and do his little thing.  
"Like the bee's knees!"  
He grinned, giving a thumbs up in return, then relaxed his face again.  
"You do look really nice though. I'm sure he's going to notice."

Rocky beamed at the compliment.  
"Ya really think so?! I really hope so cus'! I really do! I'll be heading out as soon as I get the coat back from Auntie. I don't want there to be any chance of me bein' late to this!"  
Snapping his suspenders from under his coat as punctuation, he slid his nicest pair of shoes on and headed for the bedroom door.

"The sun is going down so I think she's almost done out there."  
The orange and white tabby said as he glanced out the window, then stood from where he sat, grabbing the blue pinstriped vest he had beside him.  
"No vest? You'll look great either way-"  
He called as he ran after Rocky.

Rocky stopped before he reached the top of the stairs.  
"Ya know... a vest would be fancier than just suspenders...."  
Snapping his suspenders again in thought he shrugged off his outer coat.  
"Yeah, I'll take the vest. I wanna make the best impression after all."

Calvin nodded and helped his cousin into the garment.  
"Do you have everything? Besides the coat, I mean. I know you probably don't need much for this aside from that."  
He said as he helped make sure his tie was straight.  
"At least you have clothes on. That's all anyone can really ask for in this case."

"Hehehehe, hopefully not for long, eh cus'?!"  
He nudged Calvin in the side, after making such a lewd joke he was shocked at what came out of his mouth. Never thinking about having sex with another man before, it just kinda slipped out. The tabby pursed his lips and made eye contact with his cousin.  
"I... uh...."

"I don't want to know how any of that would work..."  
Calvin muttered in response, then made eye contact with Rocky as he went to continue.

Rocky looked away embarrassed a bit at what just came out of his mouth.  
"Uhh... yeah, right... let's just pretend I didn't say that, okay?"  
He shrugged his coat back on.

"I think that would be best for everyone..."  
The orange and white tabby nodded.  
"Alright. You look great and you're not forgetting anything. I think you might be ready to go."  
He said as he then looked at the time.  
"Um... so, what are you going to do for the next two hours? It's only about to hit seven..."

"Well... I'm not sure."  
Rocky looked up in thought.  
"I think I was just going to sit and wait for him to show up. I just don't want to be late. I'm so nervous... and excited!"  
He grabbed Calvin and pulled him into a hug.  
"Thank you for being here for me, Freck. It means a lot to me."

Calvin smiled a little and nodded, patting Rocky's back.  
"The punctuality is going to impress him too. I can tell. I'm sure it'll go just fine."  
He said, then heard the front door opening.  
"Okay, go get that coat."  
He added, knowing that was Nina coming in with the fresh laundry.

Rocky nodded, then turned to head down the stairs.  
"Auntie! Thanks for cleaning that coat for me! And folding it?! You're a doll! I can't thank you enough!"  
He placed a kiss on his aunt's cheek surprising her a little. He was in such a good mood he was surprising people left and right.

"Oh, good glory, Roark!"  
The woman exclaimed as her nephew came out of nowhere, hardly even able to close the door behind her before he dashed out. She couldn't even get any other words out before he was gone.

"Where is 'e off to in such a hurry?"  
Nina asked as she looked down at Calvin, who stood in the door with her.

"He's meeting someone he fancies."  
The small cat said.

"Lord have mercy on that poor soul... I hope 'e doesn't end up bringin' 'er to Hell with 'im."  
Nina tutted as she turned on her heels to continue with her work.  
"Shut the door, Calvin, you'll let the critters in!"  
She called.

Rocky hopped into his vehicle and started it up. Keeping the coat safe on his lap.  
"Today's the day!"  
He adjusted his unusual blue tie in the reflection of the windshield.  
"Lookin' good, Rickaby!"  
Clicking his tongue and giving himself finger guns, he proceeded to pull out onto the main road and head into town.

Mordecai stood in his bedroom, seeing that he had about fifteen minutes before he had to be at the designated spot.   
Since the little conversation he shared with the man he was meeting with, the black and white cat had been beating himself up for revealing so much to someone he hardly had any form of relationship with; an acquaintance at best. He could only hope it wouldn't come back and nip him in the rear.

Snapping his pocket watch shut again, he closed his wardrobe and straightened his outfit out before putting his coat on, then his shoes, kneeling and tying the laces.   
Something that was discussed during their previous meeting did sort of itch the back of his mind. He might ask about it during this meeting, maybe he won't.

After making sure all of the doors were locked and windows were closed, Mordecai opened one of his windows and stepped out onto the fire escape stairwell of the apartment building, closing the window behind him. This was his main method of entering and exiting his living quarters for a fair number of reasons.  
Making it down to the ground safely, the tuxedo cat left the safety of the back alley and merged with the rest of society.

It didn't take him very long to get to his destination, looking at the time as soon as the building came into view. He would be precisely on time, the second hand hitting exactly nine the moment he arrived; a very satisfying feeling for someone like Mordecai.

Rocky stood waiting at the entrance to the club. He didn't want to go in alone or have to make Mordecai come looking for him, so he decided it was easier to be present at the entrance of the club. Once the tuxedo cat was in view, the tabby's heart started to pound in his chest once more. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting used to this sensation and not minding it at all. The tabby pushed himself off the wall and gave the other man a friendly wave and a smile that could blind anyone from miles away.

"Good evening, Mordec-... Mr.Heller! I'm happy to see you again and return your coat safe and sound! All nice and clean for ya too!"  
He waved the garment that was slack over his arm.

Mordecai inhaled deeply and mentally prepared himself for this interaction. He certainly hoped it would go smoothly. The fact that Rocky had caught and corrected himself added with the fact that he was already waiting for him nudged the tuxedo cat into thinking that it would.

"Mr. Rickaby."  
The black and white cat greeted with a nod.  
"I appreciate your gesture of cleaning it for me. That did save me quite the hassle of buying an entire suit."  
He said as he held his hand out to accept the garment.  
Nearly two weeks and he could finally rest knowing that his wardrobe was restored to functioning order.

"Please, just Rocky is fine! I'm glad I could do something for ya after such a nice thing ya did for me."  
The tabby shook the other's hand, not gathering the hint that he just wanted the coat back.  
"Allow me the honor of treating you to a beverage of your choice inside, hm?"  
Recalling the other didn't drink, he decided to offer a neutral drink option.

Mordecai's brows furrowed and his eyes widened as his hand was grabbed and shaken, his arm firm yet limp, and grip nonexistent.  
"Yes, well..."  
He cleared his throat, pulling his hand away.  
"I'm afraid the math wouldn't add up if I did accept your offer. It's already unbalanced as it stands and I'd rather not have the score uneven."

"Aaaawww c'mon!"  
Rocky wrapped an arm around Mordecai's shoulder.  
"I count us as even by my standards, _only_ if you accept my offer! It's early and I'm sure this place has something you'll like!"  
He grinned at the other.  
"Nice music, nice drinks, nice people. Ya don't have to talk to anyone but me."  
Pointing a thumb at himself and smiling, he began to lead the other man into the club, gently.

The black and white cat jolted and tensed at the amount of physical contact this particular cat was giving. Clearly a touchy-feely kind. He quickly grabbed Rocky's wrist and guided him to remove his arm.  
"I'll have one condition if I am to accompany you this evening, Mr. Rickaby."  
He stated firmly, keeping eye contact with the tabby. It was only now that he noticed the cat's forehead had healed and the stitches had been removed. Not only that, but he was dressed quite nicely. It would be something he would be sure to mention in a later conversation.  
"Please keep your hands and all other extremities on your body to yourself."

Rocky quickly retracted his arm and held it close.  
"You gotta deal, Mr. Heller."  
The tabby made his way to the entrance, opening the door for the other man.  
"After you, good sir."  
He made like a bellhop at a hotel and bowed to the other, glancing up to see his face. He was determined tonight to make this other man crack a smile at least once. A challenge he issued himself right that second.

The tuxedo cat brushed his shoulders off and inhaled deeply. This wasn't what he was expecting to agree to when he agreed to this meeting, but he supposed he did have the free time; all of his work and household chores were taken care of already.

"Thank you."  
Mordecai nodded as he entered the establishment. He hadn't been inside of this place before but had heard relatively decent things about it.  
"I assume you have been here before?"  
He decided to ask, hoping that at least one of them had some form of experience with this place. Due to Rocky's comments about the music, people, and drinks, it was safe to assume he had.

"I have! A few times when the Lackadaisy was closed for whatever reason, I'd come here to relax. Maybe play my violin when they needed some lively entertainment."  
He was walking alongside the other man now. Leading him to the downstairs portion of the club the fuzz didn't know about.  
"It can be quiet sometimes. You seem like the kinda guy who likes his peace so, maybe tonight we'll get lucky huh?"  
Winking at the other man and making his way to yet another door to open for him. He wanted to show Mordecai how much of a gentleman he could be.

"Ah, yes. You were the violinist. I remember now."  
Mordecai nodded, holding himself tall and strong as they descended deeper into the building.  
"Yes, quiet is always nice to have. One can hear themselves think a little better that way."

"I agree! I love being able to play my violin, especially for other's enjoyment."  
He smiled at the other.  
"Hopefully, I'll get to play for you one day. If that's alright."  
Now he was blushing at the thought. He wanted to see this man again so maybe saying this would guarantee him another meeting? Who knew.

Mordecai raised a brow at the offer of a piece being played for him and more so the idea that Rocky wanted to meet him again. He'd never met anyone who actively wanted to see him again.  
"As lovely as that sounds, promises cannot be made."  
He replied simply.

The tuxedo cat then glanced at the tabby.  
"There are actually a few questions I'd like to ask you while I have the chance, should we have some of the quiet we've discussed. Obviously, you're welcome to dismiss any questions you either don't have the answer to or aren't comfortable with answering."

"I'd be happy to chat with ya about anythin'."  
Rocky grinned.

"I was only wondering why you were at the college if you're not a student there. Surely you couldn't have simply stumbled into the library just as sheer coincidence."

When they finally reached the entrance to the basement of the club, Rocky once again held the door open for Mordecai. It seemed to be a quiet night, with not too many patrons around. A band was playing but softer, more quiet music due to the lack of patrons.

"Oh, I'm not a student, but my pal Ivy is. I was with her that night so I guess she took me back to her dorm instead of taking me anywhere else. As for the fact that I was in the library..."  
He looked around to find the two of them a table they could sit at. When he spotted one he started walking towards it.  
"I'm not sure how I ended up there actually."

"Was she the one who did that to you?"  
The tuxedo cat asked as he made a mark on his own forehead as a gesture to what he meant; stepping into the space of the club. He was certainly grateful for the calmer atmosphere, walking alongside the tabby.  
"It healed up quite well, might I add."

"NO NO NO! OF COURSE NOT!"  
The tabby waved his hands.  
"We were runnin' through a cornfield and I fell or something... not totally sure what happened after that. I assume it was her taking me to the dorms at the university... then all I remember is you helpin' me out. Ya know, thanks to you, is probably why it healed so well."  
He gave the other a huge grin.  
"And I really appreciate that ya know. Who knows what could've happened to this pretty mug if you hadn't shown up?!"  
He pressed his forefinger and thumb against his chin as if to frame it.

"If anything, I might have made it worse, but I'm glad my actions didn't worsen it. Of course, I reacted to _your_ actions, so I suppose you're the one truly responsible for that."  
Mordecai rolled his eyes, thinking back to the nonsense that transpired.

"Responsible for my actions... sounds about right, but..."  
Rocky looked up in thought, scratching his chin.  
"I'm not sure what you're talking about? What'd I do to make you... wait... but did you do?"  
Now he was completely confused as to what the other man was talking about.  
"You hadn't shown up?!"

Well, that cleared something up. Rocky probably wasn't aware of what he had been doing nor could he remember. None of it was genuine.  
"Nothing. I would appreciate it if we could move past those events. The important thing is that you came out of it fine."  
The tuxedo cat stated as he pulled a chair out for himself once they arrived at the table and sat down.

Rocky was officially curious but didn't want to upset the other man by asking further.  
"Well... if I upset you in any way, sorry 'bout that I guess."  
He pulled out a chair for himself and sat down, not quite across from the other but gave him a fair distance so it wasn't too awkward. 

"To help change the subject, I would like to bring up the fact that you look as if you've bathed and cleaned up nicely. I assume there is someone you plan to be meeting after this?"

"Hey, thanks for noticin'! I actually..."  
Rocky blushed again.  
"Actually I cleaned up for you. Seein' as how ya like cleanliness and all. I figured I'd make the effort."  
His ears flattened a bit in embarrassment and looked away really quickly.

"Say! I'm gonna go get us some drinks huh?! On me!"  
Quickly standing, almost knocking over his chair in the process, he might as well have flown over to the bar, considering how fast he made it over there.  
'ROCKY YOU IDIOT, WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?! HE'S GONNA BE ONTO YOU FASTER THAN A BLOODHOUND ON THE SCENT OF A CON MAN WHO HASN'T BATHED FOR A MONTH!'  
He was sweating profusely as the bartender came up to him to take his order.

Mordecai was about to respond but could hardly get a syllable out before Rocky was gone.  
It was strange though. The tabby was red in the face a lot and the black and white cat wasn't sure what it meant. It must have been some sort of medical condition, therefore probably rude to ask about.  
He watched the other cat for a few moments before scanning his surroundings a bit while hoping that Rocky wouldn't waste his money on alcohol that wouldn't be touched.

The bartender gave the tabby a strange look, considering he was all sweaty and red.  
"What can I getcha son?"  
He figured he would just ignore the other's appearance.

"I'll take a beer. And..."  
He wasn't sure what Mordecai would like, but just by looking at him, he'd figured.  
"Tea. Earl gray, ya got any?"  
The bartender looked puzzled.

"Ya know, patrons usually come down here to get loaded, not to relax with a cup of tea..."  
The man smirked at the tabby.

"Yeah yeah I know, but mister serious over there doesn't partake in the drink. So I figured I'd at least order somethin' for the guy. Businessmen, the high-class sophisticated kind."  
Rocky threw his pinky up in the air and adjusted his invisible monocle, getting the bartender to smile.

"Yeah, I know whatcha mean."  
He turned around to get the beer.  
"Give me a minute and I'll grab the hot water."

The tabby clicked his tongue and gave him a wink as a sign that he understood. The bartender walked behind a curtain to get the tea ready. Rocky turned around and leaned against the bar to take a gander at the other patrons. His eyes landed on his 'date' and his heart did a little flutter. He couldn't believe he got this man to come to a speakeasy with him.

"Alright, here ya go."  
The bartender placed a cup and saucer down with a lemon wedge and a tea bag labeled 'earl grey' on it.

Rocky nodded at the bartender in thanks, handed him some cash, and made his way back to the table. When he got there he set down his drink, then Mordecai's, giving the tuxedo cat another smile.  
"Since you don't drink."

Mordecai's ears perked a little when he noticed the other cat had returned and set the cup down.  
"Oh, thank you."  
He nodded, thankful that Rocky remembered.  
"As I was about to say before you took your sudden and frankly rude disappearance, I appreciate that you put an effort into cleaning up for our meeting."  
The black and white cat said as he examined the water for a moment just to make sure that there was nothing strange about it, then added the tea bag once he was satisfied.

The tabby looked down and blushed.  
"Of course! I'm happy to do so."  
He grabbed his beer and took a sip, wincing at the quality.  
"Not the best batch this time, but it'll do I guess."  
Taking another swig, he then set the glass down.  
"Sorry for dashing like that I just... I thought maybe I had said something, my mouth got carried away and my body just kinda reacted is all."

"It seems to happen frequently, doesn't it."  
Mordecai replied nonchalantly as he kept his eyes down on his tea as it steeped for a few moments, then looked across at the tabby.  
"May I have my coat now? I'd like to make sure it is still wearable and that my handkerchief is still with it."

"Ah! Oh-... handkerchief... uh oh. I... don't think I have that..."  
Rocky was frantic about forgetting it, but this meant he did in fact have another excuse to meet up with this man!

"It seems like... I may have forgotten the other item that was in the pockets... but here."  
He handed the coat back to Mordecai.  
"I'm... I'm really sorry, I guess that means we'll have to meet up again in the future so I can return that as well..."  
He chuckled nervously, hoping the other wouldn't be too mad at him for forgetting something else of his.

Mordecai accepted the coat with a nod and stood from his seat, removing the one he had on currently and swapped it for the freshly cleaned coat. With another nod, he made sure to check the pockets just to make sure that the handkerchief was, in fact, missing.  
"Well, I suppose that's alright. I can always get a new one made, of course. My coat was my main concern. My wardrobe is near complete again."  
He stated as he shrugged the coat off, this time leaving himself coatless as he hung both on the back of his chair, then sat.

The other man looked even more dashing with his coat off, just a vest and dress shirt underneath. Rocky's ears drooped at hearing that he could keep the handkerchief and it was not going to be used as an excuse to see the other again. He had to insist.

"Really, it's not a problem at all. I'd be glad to have it cleaned and return it to you say, next week? We could maybe go to the Lackadaisy. I could play for you? It could be a nice evening. Maybe... just... us? I could get Miss M to let me have the club for the night!"  
Letting his mouth run again without thinking, he was getting ahead of himself yet again. This time he didn't care though, he was a bit desperate for an excuse to see the man again.

Mordecai was in the process of helping his tea steep a bit by dipping the bag a few times when that suggestion was thrown his way.  
"Mr. Rickaby, do you not understand the standing I have there? If I happened to be caught by Viktor, I doubt he would be happy to see me. Mitzi would likely assume that I was robbing her... _again_ , and assume you were stupid enough to help me with the task."  
He explained as he adjusted his spectacles.  
"Not only that, but I don't think I would be able to go another week with my wardrobe out of kilter."

The tabby looked a bit downtrodden.  
"I understand Mr. Heller. It was wishful thinking, of course."  
He shrugged and grabbed his beer and took a long drink. This was a disappointing scenario that the tabby had not foreseen.

"I am sorry to bother you again with a meetup. Just, nevermind."  
He threw back the rest of his drink.  
"I think I'll need another. Excuse me."  
Rocky got up from his chair, making sure to excuse himself this time so the other didn't get upset again, and made his way to the bar for something a little harder this time.

"Of course..."  
Mordecai nodded slowly, his ears folding back slightly in honest confusion. Why would someone want to see _him_ again of all people? Mordecai Heller was too serious, blunt, and strict for anyone to want to actively see on a regular basis outside of work. This had to be some sort of job Rocky was put up to. It had to be. There was no other explanation.

The tuxedo cat watched Rocky once again with narrowed eyes as he tried to figure out what it was that the tabby was after, removed the tea bag from the water and set it on the saucer, then took the first sip. It was delightful tea, he would admit.

The tabby leaned against the bar, waiting for the tender to finish with another man's order. His tail tip twitched slightly in irritation. How was he going to be able to see Mordecai again... he had no idea. Maybe by accident? Who knew. All he knew was that he needed a stiff drink after being shot down.

"Looks like the business you had with Mr. Serious didn't go so well, huh?"  
The bartender came up to Rocky with a small shot glass and poured him a hit of moonshine.  
"On the house, pal."  
He laid a hand on Rocky's shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks. I really appreciate that."  
The tabby took the shot and downed it.  
"Could I get another? I'll pay for it."  
A tear rolled down his cheek.

"Nah. I gotcha."  
He poured him another, waving his hand at the offer of payment.  
"I've been there bud. Want me to rough him up a bit for ya?"  
He flexed his biceps at Rocky with a wink. 

The tabby smiled with a chuckle.  
"Nah,"  
Taking the shot then setting it back down upside down on the bar he continued.  
"I'll kick his ass later."  
He shot finger guns at the bartender who smiled back with a chuckle of his own.

"Good luck."  
He clapped the tabby on the shoulder and walked across the bar to help other patrons. Rocky then made his way back to the table, starting to feel the moonshine warm his chest and give him a little more courage to face Mordecai once more.

"You know..."  
The tuxedo cat began as he set his teacup down once Rocky rejoined him at their table. He had a plan now that he had a minute or two to think.  
"I suppose I wouldn't mind meeting with you once again. You've proven yourself to be decent company. That being said, I will be free Tuesday and Wednesday evening next week. Take your pick and I shall fit you into my schedule."  
That was a statement no one would ever catch Mordecai saying under any circumstances. He didn't have time for leisurely activities, but this had turned into his personal business. Someone was onto him and looking to get information out of him via an imbecilic tabby cat.

Rocky looked up in shock.  
"Really?! You mean it?!"  
He was beaming so bright he could light up the entire bar by himself.  
"I'm free next Wednesday! I'd love... I'd enjoy your company again Mr. Heller."  
He made himself look as calm as possible on the outside, but really on the inside, he was about to explode into tears of happiness.  
"In that case, I'll be happy to return the handkerchief that day! You tell me when and where and I'll be there!"  
Rocky's cheeks were flush again but not just from the alcohol. He was ecstatic he was going to be able to see this man again, and _he_ was the one to propose a meeting! Even though he shot him down beforehand... but Rocky was going to ignore that for now and focus on the good that was happening.

Mordecai turned and pulled a small booklet from the inner breast pocket of the coat he wore when he arrived along with a pen, clearing his throat as he flipped it open to the day they were planning.  
"I am free any time after seven. Might I suggest the bridge? It's secluded enough for the likes of me to be unnoticed by any passersby."  
He said as he took the cap off of his fountain pen, then glanced at the tabby for his input.

'Secluded?!' Rocky thought to himself, giddy as all get out thinking this was it. Mordecai was picking up on his flirting _finally_! He wanted to meet the tabby alone out of the prying eyes of strangers. His whiskers perked and his tail bristled a bit.

"Sounds... amazing, Mr. Heller."  
A goofy look was settling on the tabby's face; a look that said 'wow, I'm in love', without having to say it. If anyone else were close enough, they'd be able to see the hearts floating around Rocky's head.

Mordecai was too focused on writing in his booklet to notice the look he was being given.  
"Shall we say seven-thirty? That'll give us both time to get there, I would think."  
He stated, then took another sip of his tea as he let the ink dry for a moment. Even as he looked up at Rocky, he still wasn't picking up on the obvious look on the tabby's face nor the tone in his voice.

"Seven-thirty sounds fantastic."  
The tabby said, still in his dreamy sounding voice. Rocky didn't have anything to write the date down on, but hell if he was going to forget.  
"I'll make sure the handkerchief is cleaned up for ya too."

"I greatly appreciate it."  
The tuxedo cat nodded firmly, setting his cup down again before glancing around the space to see if he could spot anyone that might have looked out of place or suspicious. They very well could have been being watched and Mordecai certainly wanted to be on top of the situation.

"Was there anything else?"  
The black and white cat finally asked once he didn't find anything worth really noting.

Rocky looked up at the other man and pushed his luck.  
"Nothing I can think of unless ya wanna dance with me? Not _with me,_ with me, but... alongside me. Together... but not _together,_ together! I just mean out on the dance floor together... shoot."  
Cursing his brain, he put his foot in his mouth again.

That was certainly an odd request and made Mordecai sit up straighter if that were possible and his ears fold back a bit.  
"I... don't dance. If I could, I would perhaps consider it, but as they say, I have two left feet."  
He replied as he looked down at his cup for a moment.  
"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline."

The tabby's ears perked up.  
"Well, I could always teach ya!"  
Rocky beamed at Mordecai.  
"I mean... I don't wanna push ya or nothin' but... doesn't have to be today... or here... but I'd be honored to get the chance to teach ya, one day...."  
Rocky looked at the dance floor longingly, one of his favorite things to do besides playing his violin, was dance.

"That'll be something I'll have to put some thought into. I fear I won't be entirely teachable when it comes to something like that."  
The tuxedo cat said with a twitch of his ears, once again surveying the space before closing his booklet and put the cap on his pen, putting them back into his inner breast pocket.

"Ahhh come on, sour puss! Anyone can be taught how to dance!"  
Rocky stood up and grabbed ahold of Mordecai's elbow.  
"Come on! I'll show ya!"  
Rocky forced Mordecai out of the chair, not taking no for an answer.  
"You don't have to join! Just watch! Consider it our first lesson, eh?!"  
The dope smiled brightly at the other man and led him to the sidelines of the dance floor.

The tuxedo cat's body immediately tensed and his tail bristled, heels practically digging into the floor in an attempt to stop himself from being dragged but Rocky was a lot stronger than he seemed.  
"Mr. Rickaby, I'm not-"  
He stopped his sentence when the tabby finally let go.

Mordecai stood stiff at the edge of the dance floor with his ears pinned back in embarrassment. There weren't many people around nor where they focused on him, which was something of a relief. Rocky, on the other hand, was gathering quite a few sets of eyes.

The tabby slid up smoothly to the band and asked them to play an upbeat tune, the leader of the band turned to his musicians and they started.

Rocky looked over and Mordecai with a shit-eating grin and raised his arms. He began to do the Charleston. The looks that came from the audience were ones of amusement. Rocky was definitely a performer.

Mordecai stood stiff as a board, focusing strictly on Rocky as he began to dance.  
As the perhaps ten patrons started to gather around the dance floor to watch and clap along to the music with bright smiles on their faces, the tuxedo cat glanced around. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves watching the tabby.

Well, with everyone having fun now and the energy boosting with positivity, Mordecai felt himself very slowly ease into a more relaxed state.

As the song changed and the crowd joined in, Rocky began to change up the dance. He was now doing the Lindy hop. He didn't grab a partner for this one, wanting to impress Mordecai on his own. The crowd gathered around him in a circle and clapped to the beat, watching this man's fancy footwork.

The tuxedo cat watched silently, quite impressed if he did say so himself. Of course, there would be no way he'd ever let himself accomplish anything quite like that, but Rocky seemed to have it down to a science.

Taking another gander around the room, the black and white cat supposed he was sort of sticking out like a sore thumb, so he hesitantly started clapping along. The odd thing about it was that he felt the left corner of his mouth turn upwards into something of an attempted smile. He didn't seem to notice this, however, because if he had, he would have put a stop to that without fail.

Rocky did the splits, then pulled himself back up. Sliding his feet, waving his arms, Rocky was having a gas of a time. He looked over at Mordecai and almost tripped over his own feet. The other man had finally cracked a smile. Rocky was over the moon until another patron slipped and spilled their drink right in the tabby's path. He went down fast, landing on his face, causing his face to bleed.

The tuxedo cat clapped once more before leaving his paws together, that smile quickly disappearing on its own. It was honestly a matter of time before disaster struck considering how smoothly that whole thing was going.

The woman who had slipped and spilled her drink scrambled to Rocky's side with a few napkins.  
"I'm so sorry! Oh my goodness, are you alright?!"  
She asked in a frantic mess as she started trying to soak up the liquid on the floor and on Rocky's clothes.

"Don't worry about it doll, I'm fine I'm fine!"  
His clothes were soaked in gin. He was going to smell like a drunk for a while. His face was red from dancing and the embarrassing tumble he took in front of the man he fancied. Thankfully he didn't look angry or upset in any way. He almost looked, concerned, which made the tabby's heart skip a beat.

After noticing that there was some blood trickling from the tabby's nose, Mordecai stepped forward as the woman continued her hasty clean up of Rocky's clothes.  
"Pardon me, ma'am, I will take care of my comrade from here. Thank you."  
The black and white cat stated calmly.

The woman looked up at the tall man and nodded, taking the glasses that surprisingly didn't break and scurried off.

Mordecai adjusted his spectacles and pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his pants, kneeling in front of the tabby.  
"Is this going to be a common occurrence when we meet? You bleeding everywhere?"  
He asked as he carefully brought the piece of cloth up to Rocky's nose.  
"You're aware that you are a hazard to yourself and quite possibly others too, yes?"

Rocky watched on as the tuxedo cat took the place of the woman who was trying to clean him up.  
"I mean, it just might be? And... ya know... I've heard that before from Miss M... Calvin... Ivy... Viktor.... just about everyone."  
He smiled at the other man nervously.

Mordecai sighed when he noticed that the blood wasn't about to stop.  
"At least your forehead didn't open again..."  
He sighed then pulled his hand away, standing and offering his hand to help the tabby up.  
"Let's get you cleaned up in the gentleman's room."

Rocky smiled and chuckled nervously, grabbing the other's hand. Mordecai helped the clutz who was still a little wobbly from alcohol consumption.

"Thanks, pal. I could use a hand after all that. I'm a little outta breath too."  
His face was red from embarrassment, blood, and alcohol.

The tuxedo cat proceeded to lead Rocky to the restroom whilst being mindful of his surroundings. He still didn't trust that they weren't being watched.  
He made sure to check that they were truly alone in the room before tending to the tabby's nose.

Guiding him to lean against the sink, Mordecai gently guided Rocky to tilt his chin up as he grabbed some tissues, then started to clean the tabby up.

Rocky helped the other hold his nose up as they made their way down the hallway, wondering as to why the other cat looked so suspicious of his surroundings. When they made it to the restroom and he was over the sink, they were so close, face to face, Rocky was getting anxious. He had the strongest desire to kiss the other. The tuxedo cat was being so kind and gentle to him; so caring.

"Thanks for the help, Mr. Heller. That dame's drink really did a number on me huh?"  
He chuckled, a small bit of blood seeping into his mouth. He didn't really mind though. It wasn't the first time he's tasted his own blood in his line of work.

"I suppose it's only right. You seem to be rather helpless to your own hazardous tendencies."  
Mordecai sighed, keeping his focus for a few more moments before realizing Rocky was looking at him.

Raising a brow and returning the stare, the black and white cat spoke.  
"I understand that we are in close proximity and there isn't much else to look at in this space, but I would like to know why you're looking at me like that."

Rocky's eyes were a bit more dilated than one would expect in such bright lights as the ones in the restroom. After hearing such a comment, he looked away immediately in embarrassment.

"What way? I'm not looking at you anyway in particular... I was just... kinda zoned out."  
He had to hold his eyes from shifting back and forth in a suspicious manner. He had been caught staring.

Mordecai's eyes narrowed. It didn't take a genius to know that Rocky had more than likely lied, however, the tuxedo cat decided to write it off as more of an accident; perhaps unintentional.  
"Very well then. Will you be needing any further assistance? Unfortunately, I didn't organize my schedule for this meeting to take as long as it has, thus I'll have to be on my way shortly."

"Heh, I guess I'll be fine if you need ta go. Can I give ya a lift anywhere?"  
Says the partially drunk man with less than severe but significant blood loss.

"No, I don't have very far to go. Is there somewhere you need help getting to? I'm sure you're not entirely fit to be driving, assuming you've driven here."  
Mordecai stated as he straightened out his vest and sleeves.

"Well, I usually just park in front of the cafe or my aunt's place."  
Rocky shrugged. Not really wanting to explain his living situation to Mordecai out of a little bit of embarrassment.

That was somewhat odd but Mordecai had no reason to question it. It wasn't his business and he had no intention of making it his business either.  
"You're well enough to get yourself to either location?"  
He asked, not aware of where Rocky's aunt was located, but the cafe was fairly close. Of course, it was all on Rocky to decided where he wanted to go and determine where he was safest.

"Yeah, I'm sure I could get to the cafe safely!"  
The tabby turned around and wobbled a bit feeling a tad lightheaded.

Mordecai replied with a curt nod, reaching for the door and extending his other arm as both an invitation and as a form of readied support should the tabby happen to fall backward. It was just as his hand reached the knob of the door that he suddenly felt all of Rocky's weight on his arm followed by a tight grip on his vest.   
The tabby hadn't fallen backward, but rather forward, not something Mordecai had prepared for, and found himself trying to catch him with the arm that wasn't at all ready, therefore, falling to the ground with him.

The tuxedo cat's reflexes naturally had him wrapping his arms almost protectively around Rocky, having himself swoop in under him to break his fall. This was something he would find himself doing in his younger years too. Apparently, that hadn't necessarily changed.  
As his back met the restroom floor and Rocky's weight landed on top of him, Mordecai's eyes tightly shut. This wasn't exactly how he would have liked to end the evening, yet here they were.

As he landed on top of the other man, Rocky groaned, feeling incredibly dizzy at the sudden change in momentum.  
"Oh... oh no, Mordecai, I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little tipsier than I thought. I didn't even drink that much, must've been the bloody nose or somethin'."  
His head was pounding a bit, a headache beginning to form. Rocky placed his hands on either side of the other man and tried to push himself up, instead, his cheek met the cool tile floor.

"Hmmm, this is nice...."  
Rocky's eyes began to drift out of focus and ended up passing out.

Blinking his eyes open, Mordecai stared blankly up at the ceiling, even as he felt Rocky shift off. He was grateful for that, really.  
"The cold tile floor is hardly something I would consider adequate. Who knows how filthy this floor truly is."

When he was met with silence, his eyes shifted to look across at the now sleeping cat beside him.  
Of course. _Why_ would he assume any of this to go so easily? At least this gave him the chance to even out the playing field a little. Mordecai had only provided one favor so far, while Rocky had provided one and a half. He supposed the first favor of having his coat cleaned was only half completed considering his handkerchief was will missing in action; not that he was going to hold that against Rocky.

Once the tuxedo cat managed to get to his feet again and brushed himself off, he looked down at the tabby, trying to figure out what to do with him. After a moment, he crouched down and snapped his fingers into Rocky's left ear to see if he could get a reaction.  
"Mr. Rickaby?"

The tabby was slightly aware of his surroundings even though he was passed out. With a slight twitch of his ear at the snapping sound, he let out a small groan and a snore. He was down for the count.

"Of course..."  
Mordecai sighed to himself and stood again, keeping his eyes on the disheveled heap in front of him. He wasn't entirely sure about what he was supposed to do, but he certainly couldn't leave Rocky with little to no dignity on a speakeasy restroom floor. Surely he wouldn't be comfortable this way, so, after a few moments of internal debate, the black and white cat knelt down, scooped the cat up, and took him to the bar.   
The mess on the dance floor had since been cleaned up and everyone seemed to be back to their spots before the whole scene.

"Pardon me, but my associate seems to have had too much to drink. Is there perhaps a place for him to stay until morning? I'm not entirely sure what to do with him otherwise."  
Mordecai spoke nonchalantly to the barkeep.

"Ah, the dancing chap. He's got quite the moves, that one. Shame that gal dropped her drink and he took a tumble."  
The bartender took a look at the heap of a man in the other's arms. Still remembering what the poor thing had looked like when he came up to the bar the first time for another drink.

"Seems you two have come to some sort of agreement after all that if he was able to get up and dance his tookus off."  
He said, giving the tuxedo cat a faint smile; happy for the poor chap that he was in a better mood before the incident happened.  
"Look, I gotcha covered. Room six thirteen up in the hotel. He can have it for the night on me."  
The bartender was having quite a generous night it seemed. Young Rocky reminded him of his nephew. Light-hearted, kind of a clutz, but all good intentions nonetheless. The bartender shuffled around under the taps for a spare room key. Once found, he set it on the bar for the tuxedo cat to take.

"Don't make that young man cry again, or you'll be hearing from me, got it?"  
A threat punctuated with a wink, as to not make it so harsh.

Mordecai was extremely confused by the bartender's words. He wasn't aware that he'd made Rocky cry nor did he know what it could have possibly been that made him cry.  
"Ah, yes. I had no intention of upsetting anyone this evening. Thank you kindly for your generosity."  
He replied with a nod, doing his best to reach for the key without dropping the tabby or disturbing him too much.  
"I shall return for my things if you wouldn't mind making sure they stay where they are and go undisturbed. I would greatly appreciate it."  
He added, remembering his coats were still hanging on the back of his chair.   
It was anxiety-inducing to know that they had been left unattended for so long as it was, but there was nothing important in them aside from his agenda, but even everything in that was encoded.

Leaving the speakeasy and up the stairs, Mordecai took Rocky up to the room he was assigned. It was surprising how light the tabby was, but again, it was something Mordecai was grateful for. He wasn't the strongest of cats but he could manage some heavy lifting.

Unlocking the door to the room with a bit of struggle, the tuxedo cat stepped inside and flicked the lights on before taking Rocky over to the bed and laid him down on it. It was a fairly warm September night, so the duvet probably wasn't necessary, however, he covered him with the light blanket that was folded neatly at the foot of the bed.  
Before leaving, he left a note for Rocky and locked the door behind him. After that, he retrieved his coats, tipped the barkeep for his kindness, and left without a second thought about anything that had occurred.


	6. Chapter 6

With a small groan, the tabby shifted in his seat. His head was face down in his arms that were crossed and lying on the bar. Rocky rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

"UGHHH..."  
He groaned again.  
"That hooch hit me pretty hard. I must've passed out. Oh no! Mordecai!?"  
He looked around the bar, but there were no patrons. The barkeep was nowhere to be seen either.

"James?"  
Rocky raised his voice a bit calling for the bartender. There was no reply. Sliding slowly off the chair so he didn't fall over, still feeling a bit dizzy, he turned around to see quite the sight before him.  
"Morde... Mr. Heller?"

There stood the black and white cat wearing quite the suit. He closed his watch and put it back in its pocket before looking at the tabby.  
"I'm glad you're awake. I've asked everyone to vacate the premises so we may have some time alone."  
He stated as he adjusted the cuffs of his tailcoat, stepping forward and offering his hand.  
"That being said... I would very much appreciate it if I could have this dance."

With the hand extended to him, mere inches away, Rocky was instantaneously dumbfounded. You could almost hear his brain sizzle out. As if on autopilot, the tabby grabbed the tuxedo cat's hand. He didn't even know what to say, he just stared.

A look of gentle satisfaction crossed the man's face, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he leaned down and pressed his lips against Rocky's knuckles for a brief second. Standing upright again, Mordecai guided the tabby to the open floor, the small smile still present as he swiftly placed one hand on Rocky's hip and held his hand up with the other.

When the other man's lips hit Rocky's hand, every hair on his body stood on end. His tail was as fluffy as a lamb's coat. The tabby was beet red as the other guided him to the dance floor. He looked up into Mordecai's beautiful jade eyes, stunned, not knowing what to say. But the second that man's hand was placed upon his hip, he was a puddle on the dance floor.

"Mordi... pretty...."  
Were the only words the tabby was able to squeeze out of his throat at the moment.

The taller cat's smile seemed to grow ever so slightly, a deep chuckle escaping at the compliment that only earned Rocky to be held closer.  
"Thank you. You're quite beautiful yourself, Rocky."  
He replied as he began leading them in a slow waltz, music coming into play from an unknown source. It was only them in the immediate area.

Rocky's whiskers perked at the compliment.  
"Thank you..."

Mordecai was a very good dancer. Rocky almost had two left feet when it came to a more classic style. The tabby grasped the other's hip, eager to show that he could be just as good.

"Of course."  
Mordecai nodded, the hand on Rocky's hip shifted to take the hand that was on his own.  
"Your hand goes on my shoulder, dear, since you are the follower in this case."  
He stated as he guided Rocky's hand to where it was supposed to go, then returned to holding his hip, or, rather wrapped his arm around the tabby's waist in a firm yet gentle and close embrace as they continued to dance.

The tabby's tail bristled up again. He tried to move his hand up the tuxedo cat's neck.

"Mordecai... I..."  
The tabby leaned in to kiss the other, hoping he would reciprocate.

There was no hesitation on Mordecai's part, suddenly taking a wide step to the left and lunging so that all of his weight shifted to that side, bringing his dance partner with him in a swift dip.  
Leaning in close, the tuxedo cat leaned in with his head tilted and crashed their lips together in a seemingly calculated and passionate kiss.

Rocky's tail flicked back and forth aggressively as if he were a dog whose master had come through the door after a day at work. His hands flew around the tuxedo cat's neck and pulled him in closer. This was happening, his wish was coming true.

Mordecai began to purr, holding their affectionate moment or two before pulling away with something of a smug smirk, though keeping Rocky in the dip, eyes staring down at the puddle of a tabby in his arms.  
"You seem awfully weak. Are you quite alright?"  
He asked in a tone that sounded like he knew exactly what he was doing; teasing, really.

"I'm good, Mordi."  
The tabby was on cloud nine. Why, how was this happening? Mordecai being so romantic? Rocky wrapped his arms around the other in a tight embrace, not wanting this moment to end. He dug his face into the lapels of the other cat, taking in his scent through a deep inhale. He smelled so wonderful... like...  
"Cotton candy?"

The tabby woke up in a stupor. He was hugging his pillow with a puddle of saliva on it.

"SON OF A BISCUIT!"  
He ruffled his hair, enraged at the fact he was just dreaming.

"Pillow..."  
He looked at his surroundings.  
"Blankets, a bed?"  
He was in a hotel room by the looks of it. Sure now that if anyone was walking by in the hallway or down on the sidewalk in front, they would've heard his profanities. On the verge of tears, from missing out on more of his dream, he looked down at the bedside table and saw a note. He picked it up and read that it was addressed to him _Mr. Rickaby_ scrawled on the front in a fancy font.

"Oh no... this must be from Mordecai. I really hope I didn't make an ass of myself...."  
He unfolded the letter and began to read.

_Due to your untimely nap, I have taken the liberty of making sure you were in a safe place for the night. I don't know where your place of residence is, nor do I care to know.  
I am writing you this reminder that you have agreed to meet me with my handkerchief at the bridge next Wednesday at 7:30 in the evening.  
I thought the reminder should be set in the case that you were too drunk to remember.  
-M. Heller_

"I..."  
His heart sank, realizing he must've made an ass of himself after all. And now once again, Mordecai had paid for a room for Rocky to stay in. The tabby was feeling a tad useless. He'd have to pay the other man back. His coat and hat had been placed on the chair beside the bedside table by the other man before he placed Rocky in bed it seemed. The tabby pushed himself out of bed and shuffled to the chair. He picked up his coat and hat, placing the latter upon his head and folded the first, and carried it over his shoulder. The key to the room was placed on a hook next to the door so that Rocky could snag it on his way out. Once down the hallway, he made his way downstairs. At the desk in the lobby stood the bartender from the previous night.

"Ah, Mr. Rickaby! Good morning. Are you feeling well?"  
James waved the other over to have a small conversation.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for askin'. Why do ya ask?"

"Well, it seems you had a fall in the restroom last night after that other gentleman helped you out with the nose bleed. He said you passed out and asked if we had a room you could stay in for the night."  
The bartender began as he took the key that was handed back to him.  
"Don't worry about the room by the way. Your stay was on me tonight. You know, you remind me of my nephew. He was a bit like you, clumsy, but well-intentioned. Seems to be into the fellas..."  
James cocked an eyebrow at Rocky.

"WHAT ME?! NO! I..."  
Rocky's blood ran cold.  
"I ain't into the fellas! I..."

"Relax, Mr. Rickaby, just like my nephew, your secret safe with me. I saw the way you were lookin' at Mr. Heller. You don't hide it well."  
James smiled, chuckling at his flustered visage.

"Thanks, James... I... I gotta go. Thanks again for the support and the room."  
His gaze fell to the floor and he walked out the revolving door and into his parked car that was still waiting for him in front of the building.

***

It was nearing eight the morning after Mordecai's coat-retrieval operation that he was knocking on his boss's office door. He needed to inform Asa about his suspicions.

There was a quick 'enter' from the other side of the door, the tuxedo cat doing just that.  
"Mr. Sweet, I-"

"Ah, there you are! I was hoping you would show up. I have something I need you to do for me. Have a seat."  
The man said as he sat back in his seat, a cigar between his fingers.

Mordecai wasn't entirely fond of being interrupted like that, but cleared his throat and did as he was told.  
"Yes, I'm sure I will be able to accommodate your needs in terms of this task you have in mind for me, however, there is somet-"

"Of course. I don't think I've had a better man for these sorts of things."  
Asa continued.

The black and white cat deadpanned, blinking slowly to really get his displeasure across.  
"Are you finished, or will I be interrupted again?"  
He asked.

"Oh, I thought you were just going to say some things that wouldn't make sense to me. Go on."

"Thank you..."  
The tuxedo cat sighed and adjusted his spectacles.  
"As I was saying, I have been led to believe that I am being followed; or at least someone is trying to get some sort of information. Whether that is personal information or information on our operation, I haven't come to a conclusion yet."  
He began, seeing the interest on his employer's face.  
"I am being wary, of course, so if I happen to stray from any pre-set objectives or ploys, I will be taking an alternative route to achieve the ultimate goal. I am simply setting a stratagem as I work until I can come to a solid conclusion and end the issue."

"I didn't understand a large portion of that, but as long as things get done, do what you need to. You have my trust."  
The larger man nodded, taking a drag of his cigar before going into the top drawer of his desk.  
"Now, about that job I've got for you..."

Mordecai nodded, able to focus on his next assignment now that he'd gotten his concerns out of the way. He watched as Asa set a folder down on the desktop.

"There is someone I need you to watch. Just for a few weeks."  
The man said as he tapped his cigar ashes into the crystal ashtray.

"Another babysitting job. How captivating..."  
Mordecai rolled his eyes before letting his eyes fall upon the papers within the folder.

***

"Freckle, I'm in deep here!"  
Rocky was panicking, his hands were running through his already messed up bed head. Calvin was barely waking up from his slumber. It was about seven in the morning, Rocky had awoken in the hotel fairly early that morning and headed straight to his cousin's house to talk about his big night with Mordecai.

"You should've seen how _handsome_ he looked, Freck, I can't seem to help myself around him. I know I made myself look a fool, I just know it. If it wasn't for that dame dropping her drink I would've been okay to dance the night away. Maybe even get a dance with Mordecai!"  
He was of course delusional and optimistic about that last part.

Calvin yawned, rubbing his eyes. The sudden visit from his cousin this early was hardly ideal, especially the scare of having some cat crawling in through his window at the crack of dawn.  
"Rocky, shush... Mum will hear you..."  
He sighed, bringing his blanket up to wrap it around himself so that only his face was visible.  
"Just... have a seat and walk me through it..."

Seeing as how tired his cousin was and the fact that he had a point about quieting down, Rocky sat on the bed across from Calvin. He proceeded to relay all the information he could before he passed out.

"You see what I mean!? What do I do!? We are going to meet again next week! It's going to be such a long week."  
Rocky sighed, lying back onto the bed.

Calvin looked tiredly at his cousin and brought a hand out to gently pat Rocky's forehead.  
"You might just be overthinking it again. He's hard to read from what I can tell..."  
He then brought his hand back into his blanket now that he'd physically comforted Rocky a little.

"That man is such a mystery. I'm finding it hard to not think about him and what could be going on in that brilliant mind of his."  
Rocky laid there staring at the ceiling. He placed his arm over his eyes, still a little tired from being a tad hungover. His tail flicked in agitation. He wished he could just ask Mordecai what he's thinking and he'd get a solid, truthful answer.

"Maybe when you meet again, you can ask him..."  
The orange and white tabby yawned, flopping onto his side with his eyes closing.  
"You said he doesn't drink, right...?"

"You really think that man would answer me honestly... without coercion?! Doubt it, Freckle."  
Sighing and turning onto his side, Rocky continued.  
"Nah, he doesn't drink. Wish he did... the truth would probably come out of him easier then."  
He scratched his chin in thought.

"Drunk words are sober thoughts..."  
Calvin nodded, still extremely tired for obvious reasons.  
"It'll work out if it's supposed to..."  
He cracked his eyes open and looked at his cousin.  
"Maybe you should see if Mitzi or Viktor have anything to say about him? They know him better than we do."

"Do you think they'd be suspicious about why I'm asking about 'im? Never have before..."  
Rocky closed his eyes and conjured up a vision of Mordecai to stare at while he was thinking out loud.

Calvin shrugged.  
"You could say it's because of him making Miss M cry? I don't really know..."  
He then looked up at the window beside his bed, seeing the morning sun coming through.  
"There has to be someone you can ask who would know even a little more."

"I could always ask Miss M... try ta make it... not so obvious though, ya know?"  
Still lying down with his eyes closed, mentally undressing his love interest.  
"Would ya go with me, Freck? Maybe if we're both there she'll be less suspicious... about why I'm asking about Mordi."  
He turned over on his side, poking his cousin in the shoulder until he provoked an answer out of him.

Calvin sighed and curled in on himself, burying his face into his blanket for a moment as he thought.  
"Yeah..."  
He finally answered, shifting to sit up again and looked down at his cousin.  
"When do you want to go? I don't know if she would be there yet, would she?"

Redressing his thought, Rocky opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a minute.  
"Probably not. You're right. It is pretty early."  
Rocky threw off his shoes and hung his coat on the end of the bed.  
"We'll wait a few more hours, then head down to the cafe."  
The tabby pulled his feet onto the bed and curled up next to his cousin, their backs facing one another.  
"I'll just... take a nap here. Thanks for being there for me, Freck. You're a good guy."

"I don't know if this is a good place for that though... mum is downstairs and she might not be happy about you crawling through my window."  
The orange and white tabby said as he looked at the door as if his mother was about to walk in any moment.  
"Maybe I'll just get up now so that she doesn't come up here..."

"Nah, you seem tired."  
Rocky sat up and slid off Calvin's bed. He shrugged his coat back on and his shoes, then tiptoed up to the window.  
"I'll wait in my car out front. You sleep. Meet me in about an hour, okay?"  
Then rocky hopped out the window and slid down the rain gutter.

Calvin was about to protest but Rocky had already gone.

As requested, Calvin made sure to get himself together and out the door. He walked out to Rocky's car and peered in through the window to see the tabby laying across the front seat.  
Knocking on the window lightly as not to startle him, Calvin then opened the door.

"Um... mum found a handkerchief that you left behind. She's wondering what you want her to do with it."

Rocky's eyes slowly opened at the tapping sound. He didn't realize how tired he still was. At the question, he paused. Mordecai said to keep it, which was awfully tempting, but he had promised to have it cleaned at returned good as new.  
"Well, I'll take it now if you've got it on ya."

"I... left it behind for now, but we can come back after and get it. Just to make sure it stays clean?"  
The orange and white tabby suggested with a shrug, knowing that the disaster that his cousin was, it wouldn't stay clean for very long.

"Good idea, Freckle."  
He shot finger guns at his cousin and clicked his tongue. The tabby sat up so that his cousin could get in on the passenger side, and slid over to the driver's seat.  
"I think Miss M should be at the cafe by now huh? Maybe we could get pancakes while we are there!"  
Rocky licked his lips at the thought of the buttery, syrupy goodness. The man loved his pancakes.

Calvin couldn't help but give a small laugh and got into the car, shutting the door once he was comfortable.  
"If she's not there, I'm sure we can make ourselves busy until she does."  
It was then that the poor kid got those pesky butterflies in his stomach as the thought of a certain someone being there entered his mind.

"Yeah, that's true."  
Rocky held the brake pedal down and shifted the car into drive. All the way to the Lackadaisy, he couldn't keep his mind off of Mordecai, especially the thoughts he was having as he was lying in the bed... and the car waiting for Calvin.

Of course, Calvin had to keep his eye on the road and even guide the wheel at times with how much Rocky had been drifting into his imagination during the journey.

"Are you feeling okay?"  
He asked as he glanced at his cousin.  
"Something seems different today..."

The tabby didn't realize he was all over the road, blinded by his daydreams.  
"I'm good Freckle..."  
In a daze still, his foot getting a bit too heavy on the gas. He snapped out of it a little and lifted his foot up.

"Shoot! Sorry, I was just... in my head a bit."  
Rocky looked back at his cousin and smiled nervously.

Calvin sighed and only replied with a nervous and worried expression before looking back at the road.  
"Just make sure we don't die so you can at least see him again..."  
He said as he slowly let go of the wheel again once he knew Rocky had more control, though kept himself ready regardless.

The rest of the drive to the Lackadaisy was more or less smooth. Once he stopped the car and put it in park, Rocky hopped out of the driver's seat and walked around to the sidewalk. He waited as Calvin got out of the car.

"Now let's hope that Miss M doesn't get suspicious. Looks like Ivy is here this morning too!"  
The tabby grinned, giving Calvin a wink and a nudge in the shoulder.

The orange and white tabby stiffened at the mention of Ivy, those butterflies just getting worse. It took him a moment to be able to move, but once he managed to, he opened the door for his cousin and followed him in.

"Hey, you're back!"  
Ivy smiled as she leaned on the counter.

Calvin tried to swallow the lump in his throat and glanced at Rocky, not entirely sure what to say or how to really even speak now.

Rocky looked down at his cousin with a shit-eating grin.  
"Go on! Say hi to her!"  
He whispered excitedly.  
"She likes you, ya know?"  
Once again nudging Calvin in encouragement.

"How the heck are ya, Miss Pepper! Long time no see!"  
Rocky strut over to Ivy and stopped in front of the counter. He leaned against it with one arm and flicked his hat up like a cowboy.  
"How 'bout some flapjacks lil lady?"  
He said, doing his best cowboy impression in an attempt to provoke a smile out of the other.

"Yeah sure, in a minute."  
Ivy replied as she immediately put her hand on Rocky's snout and pushed him aside, her smile wide as Calvin trailed behind his cousin up to her.  
"How about you? Do you want something to eat?"

"Um... no, I'm okay, thank you."  
Calvin replied quietly, looking anywhere and everywhere except directly at her.

Rocky's ears folded down with his whiskers. When he heard the small exchange between the two, he rolled his eyes at his cousin.  
"I'm hungry, Ivy..."  
He gave the girl his best pouty face.

Ivy inhaled and rolled her eyes.  
"Alright, alright. I'm going."  
She sighed, as she turned on her heels and marched into the kitchen.

Calvin finally managed to look at her as she walked away, catching the smile she gave him from over her shoulder. Naturally, the orange and white tabby's cheeks dusted with pink, and his eyes quickly averted.

"Awww, look at my cousin, all in love and flirty."  
He was one to tease, considering his obsession over another man, but Rocky couldn't help but tease his cousin. He had never seen him like this after all.  
"She ain't gonna bite, ya know. Just talk to her."  
Smiling and placing his arm around Calvin's shoulder.  
"C'mon, let's grab a seat."

"She seems like the kind to bite, especially you..."  
Calvin muttered as his eyes wandered again, letting himself be guided to a booth.  
"I don't know if I'll be able to. I-I... I don't even know what to say..."

"Hehe, she's harmless trust me. All bark no bite."  
Rocky gave Calvin a wink. He sat down in a booth at the back of the cafe and slid over to the wall.  
"Talk about her. Why not talk about what she's studying or something?"  
Just then, Mitzi walked into the doors of the cafe. Rocky flagged her down the second he saw her walk in.  
"There's Miss M! Now I can finally get some questions answered."  
He whispered to Calvin as he took his seat.

Mitzi raised a brow at the sudden silent cry for attention and walked over.  
"Rocky, honey, is something the matter?"  
She asked as she glanced at the smaller boy sitting across from the tabby.

"Do you want me to go somewhere else while you talk?"  
Calvin asked.

"I think you should go try and talk to Ivy while Miss M and I chat hmmm?"  
He waggled his eyebrows at Calvin, knowing full well that Ivy would dominate that conversation.

"O-Or I could wait outside. That sounds like a better idea."  
Calvin said as he quickly got up and left the building.

"You'd think that boy always has bees chasing him..."  
Mitzi said with a small shake of her head before sitting across from Rocky.  
"Now, how are you doing, sweetie?"

"That boy's a softie, that's all I gotta say about that."  
Rocky chuckled, waiting for Miss M to settle in her seat.  
"I came here hoping I could get some info on that Mordecai guy, Miss M. For uh... bodyguarding reasons..."

Mitzi's features softened and turned to something of solemn concern.  
"Rocky, honey, I told you to keep your distance from him. He's bad news. He's the reason poor Viktor's knee is all scrambled..."  
She said.  
"Ever since that meeting we had with Asa, you seem awfully fixated on him. Did he say something to you? Threaten you?"

Rocky's ears folded, remembering the times Viktor would rub his knee, never the one to complain out loud.  
"It's just... he made you cry, Miss M. I wanna be able to defend myself and you if ever need be!"  
He looked away nervously.  
"You don't have to worry. He didn't threaten me or anything."

"He's not going to be coming around here, I can tell you that."  
Mitzi replied confidently, reaching over the table and giving Rocky's hand a gentle squeeze.  
"Honey, if he ever tried anything, you need to walk away. He's not one to follow unless he's paid to. He won't acknowledge you unless you give him a reason to. He's dangerous regardless, so try to keep your distance, alright?"

"Well... what if I didn't want to stay away?"  
Rocky was hesitant to ask her this but Miss M was like another aunt to him, but... not as harsh as Calvin's mother.

The woman shook her head.  
"Honey, I can't tell you what to do when it comes to your personal life and who you choose to try to be friends with, but I can warn you and this is it. This is my warning. I just don't want to have you found floating up the river without a breath left in your lungs. That's all."  
She sighed, almost begging for Rocky to listen to her with her eyes.

Rocky frowned. Yup, definitely an aunt.  
"I understand Miss M. But..."  
He pried a bit more he needed to know something, _anything_.  
"Is there anything you can tell me about him?"

Mitzi inhaled deeply and propped her chin in his palm, letting her elbow rest on the table.  
"Well... he is a nut for symmetry, formality, strict schedules, routines, and cleanliness..."  
She recalled, her eyes scanning the ceiling as if she was reading it all from floating words in the air.  
"He hates mayonnaise."  
She added with a roll of her eyes, remembering the discussions they had over it.  
"He was such a sweet boy when he first arrived... I don't know what happened to him."

"Who hates mayonnaise!?"  
Rocky chuckled at that.  
"Sounds like a guy who knows what he likes at least."  
He pondered, a dreamy look in his eyes. One he didn't realize was there.

Mitzi was too caught up in her own thoughts, looking back at the times she 'bothered' Mordecai with her fun, even laughing a little at one particular memory.  
"He was so strange. I'm sure he still is, to be honest. Always so serious. Very smart and mature. I almost miss having him around to poke fun at and bother with my nonsense, as he called it."

"Sounds like you were fond of him at one point Miss M. He can't be all that bad then right?"  
He couldn't tell if she was so sure Mordecai was bad news. The tuxedo cat had to have some good in him if she could recall good memories of him after all.

"He only keeps his own best interest in mind. No one else matters to him."  
She shook her head.  
"It's some sort of survival thing, I'm sure. Not that it has any significance now. He left and that's the end of that. It's time to move forward."

"Sounds like he hurt cha pretty bad."  
His tone was somber; almost sorry he brought it up to her now.  
"Sorry to bring up bad memories too, Miss M."  
He placed a hand on hers.  
"I'll be sure to be cautious of him."  
Giving her a soft smile.

Mitzi smiled softly, patting Rocky's hand lightly.  
"It's alright, honey. I'm glad you understand."

A perfect time for their conversation to be wrapped up, Ivy coming through with Rocky's requested breakfast, setting the plate and syrup in front of the tabby.  
"There you go. Try not to make a mess this time, okay?"


	7. Chapter 7

It was getting later and later in the day now; the sun showing signs of setting as a certain tuxedo cat strode down a side street.  
With all that he had been informed about, he was glad to be returning to his place of residence for chores that he hadn't gotten around to doing just yet since he wouldn't be able to rest until everything was finished.   
Luckily it was only a floors and windows week. Had it have been either kitchen or bathroom day, well, he'd be up nearly all night. This was the very reason why he reserved Saturdays for those days so that if he did _have_ to be up all night, he would have his Sundays to get the rest he needed for laundry and ironing every Monday. He had a very strict routine for his chores and he frankly took pride in how well he organized himself so that he was also flexible with his schedule.

It was awfully quiet in this part of the city, however, something caught Mordecai's attention and made his ears twitch; even stopping him in his tracks.  
It took him a moment to locate where the sound was coming from, turning his head to where he knew a park was set. While he really wanted to get to his schedule, he also wanted to figure out what that unusual sound was about. He hadn't heard it around here before.

From what he could see, the park was empty except for one automobile parked on the street. Everyone was likely home for dinner with their families around this time, so what was this about? It wasn't long before Mordecai's eyes narrowed, recognizing this automobile quickly. Of course... it seemed they had been crossing each other's paths oh so frequently.  
Well, this could be a grand opportunity to scope his personal target and see if there was any information to be gained; so, taking another quick look around, the black and white cat started walking into the park, following the sound of the violin until he caught sight of the man in question, playing near the pond with ducks treading the water.   
He made sure to stay just out of sight as he watched and listened closely.

Rocky had had a busy day at the cafe 'helping' Ivy and Mitzi with 'cleaning' and whatnot. He had helped so much that Mitzi gave him the rest of the day off. It was awfully kind of her, even though he had insisted on helping further, she had guaranteed him that the two women could handle the rest of the chores for the day.

"Those girls worked too hard."  
He shook his head, chuckling at himself as he set down his violin case softly on the grass. The tabby hummed to himself as he rosined his bow and tuned the instrument.  
"Perfect!"  
He sang at the last pluck of a string in tune. Holding the bow with the tips of his fingers, he placed the violin under his chin and adjusted the shoulder rest correctly, then began to play a somber tune. He began to recite a poem that had been on his mind ever since his heart began to play for a certain man.

"Dear friend, those times are over and done; love's web is spun. Look upward where the poplar trees sway and sway in the summer air, here in the valley never a breeze scatters the thistledown, but there, great winds blow fair from the mighty murmuring mystical seas and the wave-lashed leas."

A tear rolled down the tabby's cheek. Thinking about his affections that would most likely never be requited.

Mordecai stood quietly behind a nearby tree, listening to the seemingly heartfelt words paired with the music of the instrument. He needed to slow his thoughts a small bit to take in the probable meaning within the poem being spoken.  
All the tuxedo cat could wonder was what the significance was that made the tabby choose this poem in particular. Yes, it was beautiful in its own respect, but the way Rocky was speaking and the way that the violin was being played told him that there was a reason this poem was being recited.

"Sweet, there is nothing left to say but this, that love is never lost; keen winter stabs the breasts of May whose crimson roses burst his frost... ships tempest-tossed will find a harbor in some bay, and so we may. And there is nothing left to do but to kiss once again, and part, nay, there is nothing we should rue... I have my beauty; you, your art, nay, do not start. One world was not enough for two like me and you."

When the words and music seemed to come to a close, Mordecai leaned forward to peer out at the tabby to see what he was doing. He knew that Rocky was alone, but that was it. He didn't know why he was here or what he was planning to do while in the park.

As Rocky finished his performance, he lowered his bow and instrument. His eyes were still a bit watery but he had a smile on his face, glad to finally get some emotions out. He set his violin back in its case, taking a small break to feed the ducks some stale bread he had left in his car for a week. Poor ducks would be eating moldy bread. Rocky hummed the song he was previously playing as the ducks gathered around.

"Hey fellas! Looks like you guys are having a good time this evening, huh?"  
Anyone walking by would've thought this man was crazy, speaking to the ducks.  
"Wish I could be one of you guys right now. Not a care in the world. Loving who you wanna love and not being judged for it. Ahhh, such is the life of a sentient creature without the objectification of morality."  
He smiled at that, tossing a large piece of bread in watching two of the ducks rip it apart greedily.

Mordecai's eyes narrowed and his brows knitted together as he turned his back to be against the trunk of his tree, not having much time to really care that Rocky was harming animals with such food.  
Clearly, the tabby was yearning and his heart was hurting because of it, and because of the wording, the black and white cat could quickly conclude that his current target was yearning for someone he was going to be heavily scorned for if he was to follow through and be found out.

Obviously, none of that interested Mordecai in the slightest. He was only there to see if he could figure out any further details about why Rocky was put up to the job of... whatever his job was.  
Now that he thought about it, because Rocky was alone with no sign of anyone coming to meet him, Mordecai saw no use in lurking around. The likelihood of Rocky saying anything useful was minimal.

Turning back the way he'd come, the tuxedo cat started walking back toward the street so that he could keep his routine in check. The sun was now kissing the horizon and he wanted to get things done before midnight struck.

As Rocky watched the ducks fight over the bread, he heard quiet shuffling behind him. He figured it was just some birds or squirrels running around in the brush, but checked behind his shoulder anyway. It was as if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He dropped the rest of the bread in the water and rubbed his eyes. It was the subject of his unrequited affections. His face turned red, hoping the tuxedo cat did not hear anything he was saying to the ducks. That was a private conversation after all. It looked as if Mordecai didn't notice Rocky noticing him, so the tabby decided to follow the other man to see what he was up to.

"I wonder why he's being all sneaky like in a public area..."  
He questioned a duck that had wandered up beside him. The duck quacked at the tabby.

"You're right. I will follow him to see what he's up to."  
Rocky thanked the duck and it allowed the tabby to pat it on the head. He packed up and closed his violin case, then hurriedly but quietly began to follow Mordecai at a distance.

Uncharacteristically, Mordecai was caught up in his thoughts and didn't seem to sense that he was being followed regardless of the distance that was set. He heard Rocky talking to the animals but didn't think much of it, hardly even tuning into the words that were said.  
He was still trying to figure out what it was that Rocky wanted from him. That was the real puzzle he was trying to solve and he had the rest of the weekend to try to figure that out. Of course, with how little information he had at this time, he couldn't see himself finding any recognizable pieces to put together.

The tuxedo cat walked at a rather quick pace the more his mind ran, almost missing his alley too. As soon as he adjusted his spectacles and noticed his whereabouts, he pulled himself out of his mind and made the sharp turn to the left before he missed it. Mordecai adjusted his coat a bit before he started up the fire escape stairs at the back of his apartment building.

"Golly, he walks really fast..."  
Rocky, being the string bean he is, had a hard time keeping up with Mordecai, considering how much speed he was gaining. Did he realize he was being followed and trying to lose him? Either way, the speed at which the other was traveling helped Rocky keep his distance. When Mordecai ducked down an alleyway, Rock stopped and peeked around the corner of the building. He knew his footsteps would be heard in the echoing passageway. His tail twitched as he watched the other cat make a sharp turn, his ears pricked up when he heard the other climb onto a fire escape.

"What the heck is he doin'?"  
Rocky tiptoed down the alleyway and looked up at the fire escape that Mordecai jumped up. He saw the tuxedo cat climb into a window.

"Is he... on a job... oh bugger this. I gotta talk to Freckle!"  
It was then that he made his way back to his car, making a mental note which window the other had jumped into.

Mordecai's ear twitched just as he was about to close his window, almost confident that he'd just heard that tabby's voice. Leaning out of the window, he looked around the back area of the building.  
There was nothing out of the ordinary aside from footsteps down the alley, but that was probably just an echo from the main street.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes at his own paranoia, Mordecai closed his window and locked it tightly before taking his coat off, changing into something better suited for household chores.

Rolling the sleeves of his shirt up now as he walked through the apartment to the kitchen, the tuxedo cat grabbed his supplies from the space under the sink. It was only floors and window day, so there wasn't much that was needed this week.  
Grabbing the broom to start, he didn't waste another moment before getting right to work. Luckily, his apartment wasn't massive, so he could get the sweeping done within thirty minutes. It certainly helped that he did this twice a month, four if he happened to be bored.

As he swept, however, his mind didn't seem to want to move on from the subject of his personal puzzle. There was still a lot he was trying to figure out in terms of everything regarding Mr. Rickaby. There had been things that the tabby said that really didn't sit quite right.

Of course, the night that he helped Rocky with his stitches at the library was something that started all of this. Rocky was being so open and flirtatious and Mordecai didn't see himself as a feminine presenting sort by any means no matter how intoxicated one might have been.  
The next instance was the night before; the way that Rocky had been staring and the insistence with another meeting just to return a handkerchief. Naturally, Mordecai appreciated the thought because he really did like the ones he had and saw no desire for anything new.  
Then came the scene just before he'd come home. Rocky in the park, reciting that poem and the thing he said to the ducks.

 _'Loving who you want to love and not being judged for it. Such is the life of a sentient creature without the objectification of morality.'_  
That could have meant a lot of things. He wasn't going to touch the poem just yet. Some of that was still being worked out.  
'Loving who you want to love' was obvious. The tabby was clearly falling for someone he wasn't supposed to. As for who it was, Mordecai didn't take much interest in that. He didn't benefit from that information.

Or... maybe he did. If it was true that Rocky was sent to expose whatever secrets he could dig up, the tuxedo cat could use that information against him. Something of mutual blackmail.   
That would have to be something he would have to pry for. An exchange of sorts. If Rocky was going to be asking questions, Mordecai knew that he could always play the 'answer for an answer' card.

Finishing the sweeping, he brushed all of the dirt into the pan and brought it to the trash. His chores were always easier because he kept up with them and did them so regularly.  
Putting the broom and dustpan away, Mordecai grabbed the bucket next and filled it with water and cleaning solution. Making sure to take the scrub brush designated for the floors, he made his way to the bedroom first. Not only was it on the furthest side of the apartment, but it would also be nearly dry by the time he finished all of the rooms.

Getting on his knees in the left corner near the windows, the tuxedo cat soaked the bristles in the liquid and started scrubbing away.  
Unfortunately, his mind started to wander again. Wandering to places and try to come up with theories about what it was with Mr. Rickaby's behavior. Everything concerning that tabby was wracking every brain cell Mordecai had.

He worked for the next two and a half hours on his floors, scrubbing every square inch of the floor he could reach. Near the end, he caught himself humming a tune he'd heard the night before at the Nine Lives. The moment he caught himself, the black and white cat shook his head and mentally scolded himself for lingering on such insignificant and irrelevant nonsense.  
Shoving the brush into the water mixture again, Mordecai shook his head and stood, taking the bucket to the kitchen, for now.

His next task was his windows, only a total of six throughout his entire apartment; three at the front and three in back in his bedroom. His bedroom was the most important to him because that was what he used as his front door rather than the actual door.

Taking the window solution and a clean rag, he went to the set of windows at the back of the building. This was his last task of the evening before he could bathe and brush himself, sit down to write a few things, then get some rest.

Rocky and Calvin rounded the corner of the alleyway the tabby had caught Mordecai going down a few hours prior.

"I'm telling ya, Freck, he was on a mission! He had murder in his eyes!"  
Rocky made a serious, scowling face at his cousin, demonstrating the look the tuxedo cat had on his face; but considering this was Rocky, he looked far less intimidating.  
"He snuck into the window of that unit."  
He pointed up on the fourth-floor fire escape.  
"Now why would he be sneaking around back to a building if he lived there!? Could only be a hit or something."  
The tabby scratched his chin in thought.

Calvin looked up at the window and ducked back into the alleyway.  
"Rocky! He's still there!"  
He whisper-yelled, pulling his cousin back as well before slowly peering from around the corner up at the window, seeing the man in question in the window, cleaning the glass with intent.  
"Oh, I think you might be right, Rocky..."  
The orange tabby said as he turned to his cousin.  
"He's cleaning up after himself. There was probably blood that got everywhere and he's cleaning up after it!"

Rocky began to sweat. It's not like he didn't know this man had killed before considering his line of work, but he never thought he'd catch him in the act. He peered back around the corner and looked up at the window. 

There he was, the man of his dreams, supposedly cleaning the viscera of his victim. Rocky squinted to see if he could catch any more details of the sight before him.

"He's pretty clean for someone who just took a life..."  
He cocked his head to the side.  
"Maybe that's where he lives... then again... who uses a fire escape to get into their own house..."  
The tabby's tail swished back and forth in thought.

Calvin looked at Rocky, and then back up at the fourth-floor window.  
"Maybe he found someone inside that wasn't supposed to be there?"  
He suggested.  
"He's... terrifying. Are you sure you should be following him? He did almost choke you to death last week, didn't he?"  
Of course, those were Rocky's words of description. Calvin wasn't there and didn't see any of it for himself.

"Although he did, I'm not gonna hold that against him. It was self-defense after all. I mean, I was gonna take him out with a plunger! I thought he was a bog witch!"  
He chuckled nervously.  
"Considering that, and the fact it was a misunderstanding... this could be one of those times again..."  
Rocky was finally learning. This man had a good effect on him. He couldn't keep his eyes off the way Mordecai was scrubbing the windows. Sleeves rolled up, determination on his face, so serious. Ears relaxing and sighing, Rocky was smitten. _Especially_ since he was willing to turn a blind eye to a flat out murder.

"Whatever happens, don't tell him you might know where he lives or let him see you lurking around here..."  
Calvin said as he watched the tuxedo cat finish off the window he had been working on and take a step back from his work, looking as if he was inspecting it.  
"Either he'll come after you, move out, or maybe even both. I don't trust him..."  
The smaller tabby added as he watched Mordecai leave their view, probably finished with his job.

"You're right about the first part, Freckle. But not trusting him... I dunno."  
Rocky stared up in thought at the window, watching as his idol of affection stepped away.  
"I think he gets a bad rep, honestly. He's more of a good guy than ya think. I mean, he coulda left me to bleed out, or left me passed out without a word to anybody at the club last night. He's really a softie deep down. I can tell."  
He had a dreamy look in his eyes, thinking about this other man.

Calvin sighed, pressing his back up against the wall. He had a feeling that getting Rocky to really see the potential danger here was going to be really hard.  
"Just because someone is nice to you doesn't mean they're a good person though..."  
There was a moment of pause, the orange tabby looking up at the sky and then at his poor lovelorn cousin.  
Rocky had always been drawn to dangerous situations, or maybe even the danger was drawn to him. He was almost a magnet for disaster and naturally that was worrying.

Looking back up at the window, he continued.  
"Don't you think there's a reason Miss M doesn't trust him? She knows him better than we do and-"  
Calvin cut himself off, a hand flying up to his mouth as he saw the tuxedo cat walk up to the window again, pulled the pane of glass up, and ducked out onto the fire escape with a bucket.

"Just because someone isn't nice to you in particular, doesn't mean they're a bad per..."  
Rocky watched as the window opened and Mordecai stepped out onto the fire escape.

"Oh fudge muffins!"  
The tabby quietly exclaimed and ducked behind the wall with his cousin.

"What do we do!? If we run for it he'll hear our footsteps, won't he!?"  
He was panicking now, not knowing how to handle this situation. Every other time he had to book it, he was in grass or dirt; some substance that could easily absorb any noise he produced while making his getaway.

Calvin slapped his hand against Rocky's mouth to shut him up while holding a finger up to his own mouth as a silent sign. 

Shocked at the hand that was smacked over his mouth, Rocky's ears folded and tail bristled. He understood why it was done, but hadn't expected it.

When he was sure that Rocky would be quiet, the smaller tabby slowly removed his hand from his cousin's mouth and took a step back to peer out from the corner.

Watching as Mordecai walked down the fire escape, Calvin knew Rocky had joined in on the spying. As the tuxedo cat in question made it to the bottom and on solid ground, he stepped to the side and dumped the bucket of water, set the bucket down, fixed his sleeves, picked the bucket up again, and started back up.   
Once he was back inside and the window was closed, Calvin relaxed and let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"We shouldn't be here, Rocky..."  
Calvin sighed, looking up at the other tabby.

Once Calvin spoke up, Rocky knew the coast was clear.  
"Yeah... we probably shouldn't."  
Stalking was not exactly part of Rocky's style, even though he had been known to do it, but he had to know what this other man had been up to.

"Ya know what..."  
Rocky puffed out his chest in an attempt to look brave and stood up straight.   
"I'm gonna check this out!"  
He looked up and around from the corner of the building to make sure Mordecai was no longer in sight, then proceeded to walk quietly up to the puddle that the other man had made with the cleaning water. 

Calvin reached for his cousin when he started to march out, then looked up at the window Mordecai had disappeared into to make sure he wasn't caught.

Rocky saw that the water was soapy, yes, but also fairly clear. Not a trace of blood. The tabby's shoulders fell and he sighed in relief. His Mordecai has been proven innocent.

"Rocky...!"  
The orange and white tabby called in a whisper.  
"Rocky! What are you doing!? Let's get out of here!"

When Rocky was satisfied by the answer he had gotten for himself, he returned to Calvin who had been hunkered over, terrified at the aspect of being caught by the tuxedo cat.

"The water was clean, Freckle! Well... dirty with dust and whatnot, but no blood! I knew he was good."  
Rocky clasped his hands together and looked up longingly at the window.  
"This must be where he lives then... I can't see him being a maid or anything."  
He chuckled at that thought.

"How do you know for sure? It's dark over there..."  
Calvin said as he looked over at the puddle that had just been examined, then he shook his head.  
"It doesn't matter. We should go."

"Well... you're right... but it didn't smell like blood either. You'd think I'd be able to smell that coppery smell... anyway, yeah, let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday, Sunshine. ;)

Now Wednesday evening, the night set for the two men to meet again for the hopefully final exchange, Mordecai stepped lively as he reached the bridge. Looking down at his pocket watch, he was on time once again which pleased him very much. As he crossed the structure, the tabby's vehicle could be seen; another thing that pleased the tuxedo cat. The interaction would be quick and smooth.

As he drew near, however, it appeared that Rocky wasn't in the car or around it. His ears stood upright for a moment before returning to their usual position, listening closely for any hint of the tabby. He looked over the guardrail of the bridge, but couldn't see much of anything.

"Mr. Rickaby?"  
He called, almost hating that he had to.

If he was honest, he was still unsure about this entire thing. Mordecai had been keeping an eye on Rocky since their meeting at the club whenever he found they were in the same general area of the city. The coincidences were incredible and inconvenient, sometimes feeling as if Rocky had been following him at times. It was likely, considering his suspicions about the tabby.

Rocky had been planted under that bridge for three hours before he even needed to be there. It had been a few days since he had seen any form of Mordecai and he was definitely missing their run-ins. Once their agreed-upon hour came up, he knew he wouldn't need to wait even one more minute to see the other man. He was always punctual. At that exact moment, he heard his name being called from above, atop the bridge. Peering around the corner of the bridge, he looked up to see the tuxedo cat calling his name. The tabby waved to him, gesturing for him to come on down beneath the bridge.

Mordecai luckily caught sight of the man, not hesitating to make his way around and down to the underside of the bridge, keeping his hand in his pocket on an object in case of an emergency.

With a curt nod to the other man, the black and white cat extended his hand to accept his missing item.

"Hey, Morde... Mr. Heller, how are you doing tonight? Not too cold, I hope. It is getting close to winter after all."  
He chuckled, being awkward and not sure what to say to the other. He didn't want to give the handkerchief so quickly and maybe not being able to spend extra time with the other man.  
"How've you been this week? Up to anything fun?"  
He did a little dance with his shoulders, trying to once again provoke a smile out of the stern-faced cat.

The tuxedo cat inhaled deeply as his eyes narrowed, lowering his hand again.  
"No, nothing of interest for someone such as yourself."  
He stated firmly, his suspicions only growing at an uncontrollable rate.  
"I would appreciate it if you would give me what I have come for so I may depart peacefully."

Rocky looked around hesitantly.  
"I'm sure I'd be interested in anything ya tell me!"  
His face grew a little red at that. He didn't want Mordecai to leave just yet. He just got there after all.  
"C'mon you can share with me! We're friends... aren't we?"  
His face was a deep red now.

"Friends?"  
Mordecai repeated with a cocked brow. Apparently, there was a small lesson to be given this evening. Not something he was particularly expecting, but he would do it regardless. Knowledge was power, so he was willing to share it and provide this small bit of education to someone who seemed to need it.  
"The definition of a friend is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations."  
He explained as he adjusted his spectacles.  
"I believe we are closer to the acquaintance role, the definition of which is a person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend."

Rocky deflated like a balloon. He wanted more than friendship from Mordecai, of course, but he thought they'd at the least be friends by now.

"Ah... well this is how friendships form, yeah? By getting to know one another and..."  
His tail bristled.  
"I was thinking we could be friends..."  
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked back up into the tuxedo cat's eyes.

"And what could you _possibly_ gain from a friendship with me?"  
Mordecai proceeded to ask. Perhaps now he would get a decent answer about all of his wonderings on this topic. What was Rocky _really_ looking for?  
"Did someone perhaps put you up to this?"

"Put me up to this?"  
Rocky's ears fell flat against his head.  
"I'm... I'm not sure what you mean. No one 'put me up to this' I just thought... I could get to know you better..."

"The truth, Mr. Rickaby, would make this go much smoother. What are your intentions?"  
The tuxedo cat asked, eyes firmly staring into the blue orbs of the tabby.  
"I don't think you quite understand the position you are in with each and every interaction we have. Do you not fear the threat of death?"

"I just... I..."  
Rocky was shaking now. He wanted to tell Mordecai his true feelings but like most people, he feared rejection.

The black and white cat's patience was quickly wearing thin, the end of his tail beginning to flick from side to side and his ears folding back.  
"Enough of this..."  
He spat, now reaching forward and grabbing the tabby by his tie with one hand, he pulled him in close whilst drawing his firearm. It may not have been conventional nor did he really want to use it at such close range, but he felt he had no choice.

Pressing the muzzle of the gun into the underside of Rocky's chin, Mordecai stared directly into the other man's eyes.  
"Should you deny me an adequate answer, I shan't hesitate to provide the bricks a fresh coat of scarlet paint. Tell me who sent you and what they want from me."

Rocky panicked as he was grabbed and pulled close to the other man. He could smell the gunpowder from the firearm. Sweat began to drip down his forehead, it was now or never. The tabby's hands flew up and grabbed the other's coat collar. His lips met the other man's in a passionate kiss. His ears fell down, hoping Mordecai wouldn't pull the trigger on him whilst mid-kiss.

It took a moment for Mordecai to truly register what was happening; his eyes widening and pupils constricting, paired with his fur standing on end as he focused fully on the tabby who was now... _kissing him_...  
This was something the tuxedo cat had never experienced before. The sensation of warm lips pressed against his own was entirely new.   
He was stiff as a board, frozen. He didn't know what to do. The hand holding the gun actually lowered ever so slightly, the tension on Rocky's tie loosened, and his lips twitched forward almost naturally wanting to return the act.

There were a million thoughts running through Mordecai's mind and trying to figure out what his next plan of action was.

Rocky loosened his grip on the collar of the other's coat. Realizing the cold metal of the other's gun was no longer on his chin, he had a good feeling Mordecai wasn't going to pull the trigger. Letting go of the collar, Rocky slid his hands down behind Mordecai's back and pulled him into an embrace. It was a light hug, considering the other felt a tad... paralyzed. He didn't want to push his luck with the other.

The black and white cat was completely stuck now. He was prepared for many scenarios but this was absolutely not one of them. The arms around his waist caused a trembling wave to wash over his physical being. He'd never been touched like this and he never thought he would.  
He couldn't even move his thumb to engage the hammer of his gun, in fact, he dropped the item entirely.

Mordecai Heller may have finally been defeated by the means of physical affection.  
He felt as though his heart was about to stop entirely after racing for what felt like hours. His breath was absent.

Without being able to control himself, lost in his thoughts, the tuxedo cat absentmindedly let his eyelids flutter and pressed his lips against Rocky's gingerly. His hands were then hesitantly placed on the tabby's shoulders, however, that seemed to snap the tuxedo cat right back out of it.

Mordecai had managed to catch up with his thoughts and knew what he was going to do now.  
Gripping Rocky's shoulders, he forced them apart and ripped himself away with a deep inhale now that he remembered how to use his lungs.

"Something like that... is _not_... going to distract me... from finding out who sent you..."  
Mordecai said slowly between heavy breaths, then straightened out his attire from any wrinkles that may have formed from the tabby's grip.

When the gun hit the ground, Rocky didn't even flinch at the loud echo bouncing against the walls. The tabby's heart was about to explode with joy when he felt the other man lean into the kiss. Even beginning to place his hands on his shoulders in a sign of returning the affection! He was happy, he wanted more, never thinking this would come to pass let alone being embraced. Suddenly, he was rudely awakened and shoved against the wall behind him, lips lonely and arms empty.

"I'm... I'm being honest Mordecai! No one sent me! I'm here of my own volition! Please, what do I have to do for you to believe me!?"  
Tears began to form in Rocky's eyes. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling right now. Fear? Confusion? Happiness that he got to finally show the affection that he had pent up inside him for quite some time? He had a taste of what he had been wanting, and he needed more. After this reaction though, he was afraid that catching Mordecai off guard would be the only time he'd ever get this sort of physical activity between himself and the tuxedo cat.

Mordecai caught his breath and wiped his mouth with a shake of his head. He realized that his gun was still on the ground, so, he quickly leaned down and plucked his firearm from the dirt.  
"I have to leave."  
He stated firmly, more so just telling himself that his mind was scattered and couldn't catch a single thought at this time.   
The black and white cat certainly didn't want to act without a sound mind, which he was far from having at this moment in time.

He was confused and, quite frankly, scared out of his mind. He'd never shared a kiss with anyone before and thought he would live his entire life without that experience. He hadn't known anyone to actually want to share that with him either, not without a gun to their head, which he supposed was the case here but this was different.

Turning on his heels, Mordecai pocketed his weapon and started up the steep hill so he could hopefully escape and run from his fears. He felt threatened and his body was reacting to this scenario as such.

The tabby could see the tuxedo's mind racing a mile a minute. Rocky had shared kisses in the past when he was younger with girls, but this was his first with a man, and had an inkling this was Mordecai's first with a man as well. As Mordecai essentially ran out from under the bridge, Rocky got up as fast as he could to follow.

"Mordecai! Wait!"  
Running after the other man, when he caught up to him, he took the chance and grabbed the other's hand.  
"Please, Mordecai, don't leave. I'm sorry I caught you off guard like that, but I'm being sincere."

The tuxedo cat ripped his hand away instinctively and whipped around to face the tabby with fierce and piercing eyes.  
"Why? What could possibly be so interesting about me for you to chase me? Perhaps the idea of danger? The thrill? What is it, Mr. Rickaby, what!?"

Rocky's ears flattened, those eyes, the tone of voice, made his heart skip just experiencing it.

"I... I just..."  
He swallowed hard.  
"I just like you. Something inside me acts up when you're nearby. Your aura, if you will. I feel butterflies in my stomach when I see you, Mordecai..."  
He was red again and trying his best to keep eye contact with such an intense gaze upon him.

"You just have to trust me when I say, I like _you_ for _you;_ and I want to get to know you better, Mordecai."  
He reached out his hand hoping the other man wouldn't pull away, feeling the need for physical contact to get his point across.

"You cannot like me for me if you don't know enough about me to form a proper opinion."  
Mordecai explained as he took a few steps back, trying his damnedest to calm his nerves.  
"The way things are standing now, you are attracted to the idea of me. I'm afraid that's how it will always be as I will not be sharing any information with you, or anyone for that matter. There are too many risks that I am not willing to take."

Rocky's tail wrapped around his leg. He was heartbroken.  
"That's why I want to get to know you better. I don't know how else to explain the butterflies in my stomach other than they kinda just... appear. I'm not controlling them."  
He put his hands in his pockets. He felt Mordecai was not going to let the tabby touch him again. "Sometimes... you gotta take a risk. Ain'tcha curious... even a little? I know you're a good guy, Mordecai. You deserve... lo-... friends. You deserve to be happy."  
Blushing hard now that he almost said love, the tabby wanted to say it but didn't want to scare the other off faster than he already had.

The black and white cat's ears perked for a split second, picking up on the word that was almost said. Yes, it did scare him, but because it had been cut off, he found that he was able to push it aside, _for now_ , at least. That entire bit, actually. The tuxedo cat still stood by the fact that Rocky didn't know him well enough to know what he deserved.

With his ears folding back again, Mordecai shook his head.  
"No, you don't understand. It wouldn't just be risking me, but it would be risking others. Yourself included."  
With that said, he turned again and started walking quickly the way he had come from.

Rocky stood and watched the other man walk up the hill.  
"I'm willing to risk myself..."  
Not quite yelling but loud enough for Mordecai to hear.  
"I just, have a gut feeling about this. Please... let me take you out on a date?"  
He winced at his own words, shocked at what came out of his mouth. This was not the smartest move he had, but it was the only one he could think of.

Mordecai stopped in his tracks but didn't look back. There was a pause as he listened to the tabby and thought it over for a moment or two. Everything was silent with the exception of the river and the crickets playing their evening songs.

The tuxedo cat could feel his chest tightening at the mere thought. No one had ever been bold enough to go this far. Yes, there was the one woman who asked him to dance that one time and it ended in a less than satisfactory way, but this was different.  
Rocky had been bold enough to kiss him first and _then_ ask. That seemed rather backward in terms of the understandings Mordecai had, but it was... something else. Something he couldn't put his finger on.

"I cannot give an answer in my current state of mind."  
The black and white cat said as calmly as he could, now turning slightly to look at Rocky.

The tabby looked up as he heard the footsteps stop. He saw the tuxedo cat turn around to face him with an answer. Not a yes, but technically, it was not a no. A small light at the end of this tunnel of madness that was consuming Rocky's life. All because of his damn heart winning over his brain and common sense; or lack thereof.

"Okay, well... I'll give you some time to think about it then? Let's say three days time I'll meet you back here on Saturday!?"  
Eyes lighting up at the prospect of seeing this man again.  
"We'll say seven p.m. If you're here, I'll know you're interested. If not,"  
Voice trembling a bit, he cleared his throat.  
"I'll... I'll leave you alone..."  
He gave the other a weak smile, really hoping he would at least agree to these options and hoping he would show up.

"Saturday is not a good day... this is... the third week of the month, thus I will have a busier day..."  
The tuxedo cat said more to himself, working himself through his schedule out loud. For obvious reasons, he was having difficulties focusing his thoughts, so by saying them out loud, he was able to sort himself a little better.

"Wednesday would work best."  
He then confirmed.  
"Wednesday. Here at seven. Agreed?"

Rocky's ears perked up, a wide toothy smile grew on his face.  
"Yes! Yes of course!"  
His tail wagged like a happy dog. He got what he wanted, a chance! A sparkle appeared in his eyes, he didn't want to push his luck, but after the agreement, he felt brave and like he might get lucky if he asked.

"Do you think... before you leave..."  
He slowly approached the other man.  
"I could maybe get another kiss..."  
Tilting his head and looking away shyly, a bit embarrassed at the fact he actually asked this time. Although better to ask than take unlike the first time, he got lucky then.

Mordecai watched as Rocky came up to stand beside him, taking a small step away just to make sure they stood at a fair distance, however, upon the request, it seemed that may or may not have been necessary.

"You... wh-..."  
The tuxedo cat was genuinely baffled by this request. Things weren't adding up or even branching off in different directions to other possibilities and theories.  
There was another long pause as Mordecai thought it over, this time in his head just to ensure that he wasn't saying anything too outlandish.

The fact that Rocky wanted to kiss him again was... strange. They'd already agreed to meet there again later on, so why would Rocky even ask if he was actually put up to this? What was the point?  
There was a lot going on with the tabby's role in all of this, which wasn't something Mordecai found himself focusing on at the moment.  
He knew he was in a very vulnerable position right now and he didn't know if he'd ever let himself be this vulnerable again. Rocky must have known about his current state as well, so the fact that he hadn't done anything entirely threatening to his existence, his mental and emotional existence was a whole other story, he supposed now would be the best time to take that request and allow it.

"You do realize that... I've not... shared anything even remotely related to this sort of... erm..."  
Mordecai Heller, the most collected and intelligent individual was at a loss for words; a moment that absolutely no one ever saw of him.

Rocky could see the hesitant state Mordecai was in. Hesitant, yet something else was there. He was conflicted within himself. The tabby thought this might be a good time to make another move. Slowly, he moved his hand to grasp Mordecai's.

"Just, let yourself have this."  
Tilting his head slightly, Rocky leaned in, placing his lips on Mordecai's.

The tuxedo cat felt himself flinch at the touch to his hand but didn't actively move away, and strangely, he held still and stiff when Rocky leaned in. The pace was slow unlike what had happened nearly five minutes prior.  
He felt something in his chest tighten again, something he was certain was fear, however, it was this time that he wasn't sure it was fear to begin with.

The moment he felt the tabby against his lips, Mordecai let his eyes close and did his best to match the pressure given. Unlike what had happened before, this was... better. It was... enlightening. Pleasant. Inviting. Cordial. Blissful.  
Of course, the black and white cat still had no idea what to do or what was expected of him, so he secretly hoped he was doing this right.

Rocky felt Mordecai flinch, but he stood his ground and allowed the tuxedo cat to make his move. Mordecai stood still, not pulling away, so he took this as an okay to continue.  
The tabby's hands that still held the other's, pulled them up so that the tuxedo's hands could be placed on his own hips. Letting go, then sliding his around the other's waist, trying again to bring him into a hug. The fact that they were still pretty far down the hill, allowed Rocky the confidence to show such affection in a public space. The shadows of the bridge were secluded enough that no one would be able to see them unless they had shown a light upon the two and were actively searching for them. Mordecai was so warm against him. Unfortunately, he felt very stiff and terrified in his arms. So Rocky proceeded to give the other a small, reassuring squeeze to see if he would relax, even a little.

Mordecai certainly appreciated the guidance, even if he didn't know if he would be using any of this knowledge in the future. The squeeze could have been read a few different ways but he settled on reading it as the reassurance Rocky most likely intended.  
Hesitantly, the tuxedo cat's shoulders relaxed and his head tilted to the opposite side Rocky's was as he allowed himself to melt like butter over heat. He even gained the confidence to let his hands slither from resting on Rocky's hips and hold the small of his back instead. A kiss wasn't something Mordecai envisioned himself to enjoy, yet here he was.

Rocky felt as the other man relaxed into the hug. When he felt a hand slide up right above his tail. His fur stood on end. His whiskers flared at the feeling. With that confidence, he parted his lips hoping to guide the other man to do so as well. He knew about the whole germaphobe thing Mordecai had but maybe this would be different for him.

Due to his lack of experience and understanding of cues, Mordecai thought that Rocky was ending the kiss. Respecting his presumed wishes, the black and white cat slowly pulled himself away while his hands hesitantly lifted from their place.  
Jade eyes opened steadily as he took a step back. Again, he was at a loss for words as he looked at the tabby.

Rocky felt as hesitant hands left his body, lips pulling away from his. He didn't want this kiss to end, Mordecai had read the signals all wrong. So, once again taking a chance and initiative, Rocky pulled Mordecai closer. Wrapping his arm around the taller man and placing a hand behind his head. Looking the other in the eyes and tilting his head again, he decided to keep his lips together and initiate another closed-mouth kiss.

The tuxedo cat's breath ceased again as Rocky stepped forward and pulled him back in. Of course, Mordecai wasn't the greatest at vocalizing his deepest desires and this was certainly one of them. He didn't want this to stop now that he felt he could trust this man at this moment. The more they interacted like this, the more he was willing to believe that this wasn't an act of some kind.   
Rocky really was being sincere. The first and second kiss could have very well been posed as some form of distraction or a test. The third time was the charm, as people would say.

Letting his arms return to how they had been, Mordecai once again melted and held the tabby close to him as their lips met for the third time. He simply couldn't help himself, even getting to the point he began to purr faintly. He never purred, so it frankly startled him a bit, however, he didn't react to it.

Rocky felt relief wash over him as the other let this happen for the third time. He wrapped his arms tighter around the other in another comforting squeeze. When he felt a vibration coming from the other, he realized Mordecai was purring. Rocky's tail bristled up in excitement, causing him to purr himself out of sheer joy. Being careful this time, really wanting it to happen, Rocky parted his lips whilst they were still against the other man's. He tried his best to guide open the other's mouth with his own tongue. Allowing it to happen on the other's own time.

Naturally, Mordecai was confused and admittedly slightly repulsed at the idea of someone's tongue prodding at his lips, therefore, his purring ceased, fur bristled, ears folded back, and he pulled away with a turn of his head.  
"Thank you, I..."  
He began slowly as he let his hold on the tabby ease off, then took a step back with his hands firmly at his sides in something of an attention stance.  
"...I think that will be plenty... for one night..."

Admittedly, Rocky was a tad disappointed that the kiss stopped; but seeing as how he got this far with Mordecai as it was, he wasn't going to be upset at all.

"Heh... sorry I got a bit carried away there."  
Chuckling and standing back, shoving his hands in his pockets. Rocky was embarrassed once again at being so forward.  
'For one night' he repeated in his head. That was a good sign to him. Feeling a small piece of fabric in his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced at it.

"Oh, raspberries! Here!"  
He held out the handkerchief to Mordecai.  
"Sorry I almost forgot. Having a gun pulled on ya... makes your brain skip small things, ya know?"  
He smiled at the black and white cat.  
"I panicked and could only think of... how soft and inviting your lips looked..."  
Blushing and giving the other a big smile, the tabby felt confident enough after the kissing to flirt a bit with the other man.

"Oh, yes, I suppose that's the reason we decided to meet here in the first place..."  
Mordecai nodded as he proceeded to clear his throat, trying to keep his composure at the sudden flirtatious compliment.  
"I apologize for my... extreme actions, by the way."  
He added as he took the handkerchief and examined it for a moment, then looked back at the tabby.

"Nothing to apologize for."  
Rocky crooned with a smirk on his face, then winked at the other man.  
"I'm really glad I got to see you again tonight, Mr. Heller."  
His smile went soft, the tip of his tail twitching.  
"I do hope I see you again on Wednesday."

Mordecai paused, looking at the piece of fabric in his hand once more as he organized his thoughts a bit.  
"This didn't go as I had thought it would, but... I suppose I..."  
He stopped himself, clearing his throat and shaking his head to bring himself back to his senses.  
"Never mind that. Thank you for going through all of the trouble to return this to me."  
The tuxedo cat said as he held it out toward Rocky.  
"However, I've already had a new one made, therefore, I have no need for it anymore."

Rocky looked on as the handkerchief was held out for him to take. He smiled back at the taller man, taking it and clutching it close to his heart.

"Thanks."  
That was all he could muster saying. He felt a happy tear form in his eye. This made him feel especially vulnerable, but after what had transpired tonight, he felt comfortable being open in this way in front of Mordecai.  
"I look forward to our next encounter."  
He gave the other an awkward bow, not sure what to do with himself. His default was trying to make someone smile.

Mordecai would admit, it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one in a defenseless and open state.  
Nodding, the black and white cat stepped forward, bringing a hand up to use a curled finger as a guide for Rocky's chin, having him meet his gaze. Why he did this, he hadn't a clue.

"Until then, Mr. Rickaby."  
Mordecai said softly, punctuating that with a quick kiss to Rocky's forehead before swiftly brushing past and starting his walk home. It was a lovely evening for a stroll, after all.

Rocky was butter. He was shocked at the show of affection, _unprovoked_ , by Mordecai. The tabby may as well have been a puddle on the side of the hill. His eyes were dilated, his mouth agape, the second that kiss was planted on his forehead, he was frozen solid.

"I... I..... I- I- I- I-...."  
No words were going to be leaving that tabby's lips now, as he watched the other man walk away. This would usually be the time he would offer Mordecai a ride home, but for now, he was at a loss for any other words other than "I- I- I....."


	9. Chapter 9

Upon arriving back at his living quarters, Mordecai clambered in through the window in a winded and bristled heap. It may have been a beautiful night, but his anxiety happened to set in about halfway to the city.   
What had he been thinking? What came over him? Why did he let such things happen? Who was he when all of that transpired? He knew that it was extremely out of character for him and it really did terrify him.

Not only did he share his first kiss that evening, but also his second and third; also the fact that it had been with another man. It didn't necessarily bother him that he'd kissed another man nor the severity of the legal standing of it, of course, having done much worse when it came to the breaking of laws. No, it was more the fact that it had happened at all; the circumstances were something he never imagined either.

Now that he was home, the tuxedo made sure to lock his point of entry. His mind was aflutter, as well as the beating muscle within his rib cage. He certainly hoped that the tabby wouldn't expect such things to happen again. He didn't even know why he agreed to a 'date'. How would they make that work? Weren't dates supposed to happen in public places, such as dinner at fine restaurants and dancing and...  
Dancing. The Nine Lives. Rocky had gotten all dressed up for that. Did he think of that as a date?

Mordecai needed to stop thinking but he couldn't; he was in too deep now, practically drowning in his own mind. Such a cruel reality.  
In order to distract himself, he turned back to his window and unlocked it, then locked it again, repeating this seven times to make it eight since he'd returned. Sometimes that would help, but it didn't seem to do the job this time.

Whipping around again, he flung his coat off and marched up to the light switch, flicking the lights to his bedroom on and off eight times. Once again, there was no relief.

With labored breath, the tuxedo cat walked over to his wardrobe and opened all of the drawers and the cabinet, taking everything out, and began to neatly put everything away again in an orderly and perfect fashion; not a thread out of place. That was until he got to his handkerchiefs... there were only seven. He let Rocky keep one of them. He lied about having a new one made.

"Damn it!"  
Mordecai huffed, shrinking down to the floor with his hands holding his head with his tail curling against his left leg. He could tell that the rest of his evening was going to be extremely long. He would have to go out and the next morning and place an order for one just like the last.

It took the poor black and white cat a good ten minutes to catch his breath and remind himself that his obsessive-compulsive tendencies could only get him so far. He could fix his wardrobe as many times as he wanted, but he still had to face his original problem that was causing his panic.

Taking one more deep breath, Mordecai uncurled from his stress-filled mass and finished putting his wardrobe back in order. He wouldn't let this get the best of him, so some tea was likely a good idea, then a shower, and then bed. Whether he would be able to sleep was a different problem, but he would deal with that when he came to it.

Filling the kettle with water, the black and white cat set it on the stove and turned the burner on before grabbing his teapot, teacup, and saucer. He then opened his cupboard and began going through his options for tea.   
Lavender? Maybe chamomile? Kava? Fennel? Rhodiola? Even tea was giving him stress. Not to mention his sudden desire to reorganize everything in his kitchen even though he had his kitchen cleaning day the Saturday that had just passed.

Hunching over with his elbows on the counter, Mordecai held his head in his hands again.  
"Why..."  
He whispered to himself with a shake of his head.

***

Once the black and white cat was out of his line of sight, Rocky was just barely able to stand upon his own two feet, now seeming to have had his legs replaced by a baby deer. He took a step forward, granting his face access to the ground beneath him. As he hit the dirt, he began laughing maniacally. Never in his life, did he think he would kiss a man. Or _anyone_ he felt this kind of affection for. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself, so laughing into the dirt like a mad man seemed to be a good option at the time.

After five minutes of this cry-laughing, it passed, and his mind was clear to think straight once again; as straight as the thoughts of being involved with another man could actually be, of course. He pushed himself up off the ground, still a little shakey from the physical activity of kissing, then laughing like crazy for an extended period of time. Brushing the dirt off of his clothes as best he could, he then made his way up the hill and across the bridge to his car.

"I can't believe that just happened... that _we_ just happened."  
He pulled the door open and climbed into the driver's seat. Putting both hands on the steering wheel, but not yet turning the car on. It was still pretty early in the night, and he was far from tired. Usually, at this point, he would hit the Lackadaisy for some good socialization and company, play his violin until Zib kicked him off the stage, then pass out in his car where he parked it in front of the cafe. Tonight, though, he was wired with adrenaline. It's as if he had taken cocaine, he was hooked on the rush of kissing and being kissed back. He rummaged around under his driver's seat for his box of memorabilia, pulling out the picture he had stashed in there of his mother.

"I... need to see him again, ma."  
He laughed to himself.  
"I'm absolutely smitten. He kissed me back! I couldn't believe it ma!"  
A tear fell from his eye and he wiped it away. He stared at the picture as if it were going to talk back to him and give him the advice of the century. He leaned into the photograph, looking for an answer to the question he didn't ask.

"You're right ma, I should go to him! Chase your dreams, you always said! I could do anything! Be anything! I want to be this man's lo...."  
He shut his mouth before he could say the L-word.  
"I want to be with him."  
His expression going soft, he kissed the picture of his mother and gently set it back in the box, then put the box back under his seat.

"Let's do this! Tally- ho!"  
He shouted as he turned the ignition on in his car and sped off toward Mordecai's presumed place of residence.

After a short, albeit far too fast to be within the legal speed limit, thank goodness he wasn't caught, he reached the street he followed the black and white cat to that one day. Putting his car and park and turning it off, he then jumped out of the vehicle and made his way down the alleyway and below the window he had seen Mordecai cleaning previously. He took a deep breath and recited the only thing he could think of that fit this moment perfectly. The one thing he was thinking of the whole drive there, that described this forbidden romance perfectly.

It was then that the black and white cat heard a noise. What that noise was, he wasn't entirely sure, but he was too far into his panic to really care. Straightening himself up again, he took another deep breath and started going over his options again.

"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief-"

Mordecai's ears perked, recognizing that voice. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head, trying to clear his mind of that familiar voice. He could only panic about so many things at once.

"That thou her maid art far more fair than she: be not her maid, since she is envious; her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off."

Slamming the canister of tea down onto the counter, the tuxedo cat knew that was far too clear to be coming from his own mind at this time. He marched back to his bedroom and flicked the light on before going over to his window, squinting to look out into the darkness.

"It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were!"

The voice continued more clearly. Mordecai unlocked his window, pulled the pane up, and poked his head out.  
"Mr. Rickaby!?"  
Mordecai called out as quietly as he could as not to wake the neighborhood any more than Rocky probably had with his late-night nonsense.

Rocky's ears perked up at the sound of the window opening and Mordecai shouting his name.  
"Hey, Mordecai!"  
He shouted back in excitement.

It was then that a light turned on in the apartment below Mordecai's; a small elderly woman coming to her window and prying it open.  
"Was hat den der Lärm so spät noch zu bedeuten ? Ist irgendwas schlimmes passiert?"   
[What's the meaning of the noise so late? Did something bad happen?]

The tuxedo cat's ears flattened as he looked down at the small woman.

The tabby quickly grew quiet as a small German woman 'joined' them in the alleyway. He pursed his lips, not knowing what this lady was saying and now he was blushing.

"Es ist alles in Ordnung, Sie müssen sich keine Sorgen machen Frau Huber. Ich kümmere mich darum, es ist alles unter Kontrolle."  
[It's all alright, you don't have to worry Miss Huber. I'll take care of it, it's all under control.]  
The tuxedo cat said as he climbed out onto the fire escape and leaned over the railing so that the woman could see him.  
"Mein Kumpel/Freund ist laut und irgendwie dumm . Es tut mir leid wie er sich verhalten hat."  
[My friend is loud and kind of stupid. I'm sorry for the way he behaved.]  
He explained, then looked at the tabby with narrowed eyes.

"Ah, ich verstehe, ich verstehe..."  
[Oh, I see, I see.]  
The woman nodded, now seeming to understand the situation, now closing her window again.

Mordecai now had to make a split-second decision that he might end up regretting.  
"Mr. Rickaby, what are you doing here, hollering your recitations at this hour? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

The tabby waved at his crush like a frantic idiot.  
"I, unfortunately, don't have a watch so I can only guess..."  
He started scratching his chin in thought.  
"Is it eleven?"  
He questioned as if playing a guessing game.

"That wasn't-..."  
The tuxedo cat stopped and sighed with a shake of his head.  
"Shouldn't you be home by now? Speaking of which... never mind. Go home."

"Well... ya see I am kinda home?"  
Rocky laughed nervously.  
"I kiiiinnnndddaaaaa... live in my car. Heheh..."  
Looking up and blushing at the tuxedo cat, he figured that Mordecai was going to find out sooner or later anyway.

Mordecai paused. That did make a lot of sense if he was completely honest. With one more moment to think, he glanced around at the other flats that he shared the building with.  
"Would you care for some tea?"  
He was probably going to regret extending this invitation, but he knew that his employer would have no problem with relocation if it came down to it.

Rocky wagged his tail, like a puppy who just had its master call him.

"I'd love some!"  
He shouted a bit too loud and covered his mouth.  
"Sorry!"  
He whispered, loud enough for Mordecai to hear him. Making his way to the fire escape, he jumped up and caught the ladder, and pulled himself up. Quietly making his way up to the fourth-floor window where Mordecai was and hopped inside, ending up in the black and white cat's bedroom.

"Wow, snazzy digs! It..."  
There was nothing much but a bed, wardrobe, some books but other than that nothing much. "...sure is clean! Heheheh."  
He chuckled.

Mordecai shut the window behind them and gave a small nod.  
"Yes, that's how I like things."  
He said as he carefully moved past the tabby and out into the hallway.  
"How did you know where my place of residence was?"  
He asked calmly. He may have been in the midst of a moderate panic, but that was quickly thrown to the back burner now that he knew he wasn't alone. He almost never panicked in front of others.

"Wellllllllll..."  
Hesitant to tell him another truth tonight after all that has happened, Rocky figured that if Mordecai was gonna kill him at some point, he'd probably have done it already.  
"Well ya see, one day last week, I kinda followed you here."  
He continued to look around the room as if he was super interested in his surroundings and not trying his damndest to avoid eye contact with those piercing jade eyes.  
"Honestly, I thought you were in the midst of a job or something. Most people use a thing called 'the front door' when they enter their own home after all."  
He hoped that didn't sound too rude like he was calling Mordecai a cold-blooded killer, or worse, a weirdo.

"I'm sure with you living in your vehicle, you would know all about something like that, hm?"  
The tuxedo replied, moving out into the hallway and back to the kitchen not far down the hall. He had a feeling that it had been Rocky in the alley that night, so he wasn't fazed.

It took him a second, but Rocky had caught on to what Mordecai had said.  
"Well now! Touché, Mr. Heller!"  
He giggled.  
"Didn't know you had jokes in ya, for being such a stern guy and all."  
He followed the taller man through the hallway, taking in the sparse decor as he walked past the bathroom.

"Do you have a preference for tea?"  
Mordecai asked as he pulled another teacup and saucer, assuming that the tabby wasn't far behind.

"Tea, uh... surprise me?"  
He didn't care for tea too much. He liked it as long as there was sugar in it.

"I would list off every tea I have for you to choose from, but I fear that would take a while."  
Mordecai explained as he shifted a few canisters around before removing them. He would have to take them all out and put them all back in the order they had been in anyway, now that they had been jostled.  
"I assume you find sweet things more appealing, correct?"

Rocky stepped into the kitchen, standing across from the other man. He watched on as he busied himself with his stores.  
"Yeah, I do prefer sweet things."  
Feeling bold, he waited until Mordecai looked up at him and punctuated his sentence with a wink.

Mordecai caught the tone that had been used and looked over, catching the wink. Turning his attention back to his task, he looked over one canister of tea with folded ears. He knew exactly what that wink meant.  
"I've not been described as 'sweet' in the past, so that is new to me."  
He stated simply as he set the canister aside and pushed all of the others further back on the countertop.

Opening a drawer, the tuxedo cat pulled an infuser from the other neatly organized utensils and shut the drawer again, then opened the canister of tea he had selected.

"Why did you come here?"  
Mordecai decided to ask.

"Well, to be honest, I had a chat with my Ma in my car when you left. Not my real ma of course, kinda like one of those self-therapy sessions. Not like those Fox sisters quite a ways back with their hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo. Just myself talking it out."  
He watched on as Mordecai steeped the tea.  
"My Ma always taught me to 'follow my dreams' or 'follow my heart' so... here I am."  
He was leaning against the counter and watching the tuxedo cat with a blush on his own face paired with a soft smile.  
"I knew no matter what, if I didn't see you in person again tonight, you would definitely be in my dreams. So I decided to make that a reality... and see if I could spend more time with you. I didn't want to wait another week."

That was something Mordecai cocked a brow to, glancing at the tabby for a moment. He still wasn't entirely sure how to respond to something like that, so he continued with his task.  
Putting the lid on the teapot, the black and white cat set that to steep for a few minutes.

"You flatter me, truly, but what did you expect to gain from coming here?"  
Mordecai asked as he began to remove all of the tea from the cupboard, then put them all back in the order they had been in before.  
"I told you that I needed time to think, did I not? It's a rather difficult task at the moment, I'll admit, and your presence isn't exactly making it much easier."

Something that the tuxedo cat left out of that though, was the little secret that he was kind of glad he wasn't alone right now. It forced him into a calmer and more manageable state of mind. Of course, later on, when he got to be alone again, his pent-up thoughts and emotions would end up exploding and be that much worse. Perhaps if he could distract himself long enough, he would forget what he was panicking about in the first place; though highly unlikely.

"Well, after what happened I feel like I needed the company; and just maybe you did too."  
Rocky stood up and walked over to standing next to Mordecai. He placed a hand upon his shoulder.  
"To be honest, you seem a little frazzled and I wanted to make sure you were okay too."  
He took the chance to steal a quick peck on his cheek and smiled.

The tuxedo's attention suddenly turned to the hand on his shoulder and froze at the kiss to his cheek, eyes widening slightly.  
"Frazzled..."  
He repeated quietly. Well, _of course_ , he was. The events of that evening had been a lot to take in all at once. It was all practically shoved down his throat without much warning.

Mordecai then shook his head and cleared his throat, continuing with the organization of his tea assortment.  
"I was fine. I _am_ fine. There is nothing to worry about."

Feeling that he may have overstepped again with that last kiss, the tabby leaned against the counter again and focused on the task Mordecai was busying himself with.  
"Heh, sorry about that. You're just... so cute."  
He blushed and stared at the tea.  
"I'll do my best to refrain from more surprises tonight."  
He gave Mordecai a large, yet nervous smile. The tabby did not want to scare away the black and white cat before he even got the chance to know him better.

That was another word that caught Mordecai off guard. Cute wasn't at all how he saw himself nor was it something he ever tried for.  
"You're awfully bold."  
He stated bluntly, closing the cupboard once everything was in satisfactory order. There were a few things that sprung free from their temporary burial site within the confines of the tuxedo cat's mind. They were hardly ideal to have running about, so he did his best to push them back down, glancing at the tabby while he did so.

"Let's just say I'm feeling good tonight."  
Rocky winked at Mordecai with a confident smile on his face.  
"Thanks for inviting me in by the way. It's nice to have a warm place to relax, even if it's for a little bit. Can I help with the tea?"  
He had no idea how to prepare tea correctly but figured he'd ask anyway. Ever the helpful person that he was.

Mordecai simply shook his head.  
"No, there's nothing to do aside from wait five minutes while it steeps. Thank you for the offer."  
He stated, keeping his eyes set on the teapot now. A sort of awkward silence seemed to take over on the tuxedo cat's part now, unsure of what to say or what to talk about.

Tapping his fingers on the counter and humming, Rocky was trying to break the awkward silence in his own way. He was humming the tune he had been playing in the park that one evening he had followed Mordecai to his home.

"If you would like to, you can go to the parlor and sit. Just don't touch anything."  
Mordecai said as he looked at the other man for a moment.  
"I will bring the tea along once it's ready."

The tabby stood up straight and looked the other man dead in the eye, clicked his tongue, and gave him finger guns.  
"You got it! I shall eagerly await your arrival."  
Winking, he walked out of the kitchen.

A little voice in the back of his head was yelling at him for being such a doofus but he was feeling far too good to let that get him down. When he arrived in the parlor there wasn't much there, so he took a seat and twiddled his thumbs, waiting for the other man to show up. He felt it best to listen to him for once and not touch anything, not wanting to upset the tuxedo cat and more than he had tonight. That's if he was truly upset at all.

Once Mordecai was confident that he was alone, he slowly exhaled and let himself relax. This was hardly ideal, having this tabby in his place of residence. Tonight seemed to be a night where the black and white cat would crumble, but only for this evening. He wouldn't be able to let any of this happen again.  
He took this time to breathe and gather his thoughts.

Something that was nagging at him was how much Rocky had caught him off guard. It wasn't something he necessarily liked, but he did sort of enjoy their final interaction before they parted ways at the bridge. The way that Rocky was a flushed and stuttering heap seemed to appeal to Mordecai quite a bit. He liked being able to stun people.  
If he was going to do that again, he would have to wait until Rocky was least expecting it. He didn't know what he was going to do yet, but he would certainly make it good.

Mordecai checked the tea quickly once he was confident it was finished, then took out a tray and set the cups on the surface before pouring the liquid into them. He made sure to add the sugar dish to the tray as well before making his way to the sitting area.  
"I hope this tea is to your liking."

Rocky had been staring at the floor, trying to keep his mind preoccupied with patterns in the hardwood. He was trying his best not to get up and explore. Once he heard Mordecai walk in and speak to him, he let out a large exhale in relief.

"I'm sure it will be."  
Rocky looked up and placed his eyes on the sugar bowl. Thank goodness the black and white cat remembered it.

Mordecai set the tray down on the coffee table, took one of the teacups, and set it in front of the tabby as well as the sugar dish. He noted the sudden change in Rocky's demeanor, which raised some questions, but he would keep those questions to himself, sitting on the armchair that was beside the couch Rocky decided to occupy with his own teacup in hand.  
"I'd recommend letting it cool for a moment or two. It's still quite warm."

Minding the temperature of the tea, Rocky figured it would be okay to at least start to prepare it. He leaned over the coffee table and began to spoon an insane amount of sugar into his tea; so much sugar, it would allow a dentist to retire early.

"Thanks for the tea! I'm excited to try it, once it cools down, of course."  
He flashed a smile at the other man. Rocky couldn't help but be all smiles tonight.

Mordecai watched as the tabby added copious amounts of sugar to his tea.  
"...yes... I'm sure you'd enjoy it if you could taste it through the sugar paste you're creating..."  
He replied slowly, looking between the cup and the tabby.

"Sugar is the best part of the tea, Mordecai, dear!"  
Rocky picked up his saucer and cup. Lifting the beverage to his mouth and blowing on it a bit, he lifted his pinky trying to be as fancy as possible, then took a small sip with a loud slurp.  
"Delicious!"

The tuxedo cat was certain he was going to find a congealed mass of sugar at the bottom of that cup when Rocky was through. Slowly raising his own cup to his lips, he took the tiniest of quiet sips, burning his tongue a bit, but he didn't mind entirely.

"I hope you own a toothbrush and toothpaste, Rocky, dear. You'll get cavities otherwise."  
Mordecai quipped back with narrowed eyes, almost mocking the little addition to his name that had been passed out.

Rocky did a small spit-take into his cup. He did not expect that to come from Mordecai. Giving the other man a wide side-eye to see if he was looking; hoping he didn't see him pretty much regurgitate his tea into his cup.

While it may have looked like Mordecai hadn't noticed, he absolutely did, only hiding his sudden sense of pride by keeping his eyes down as he sipped from his cup. There was even a faint bit of strain as the corner of his mouth tried to pull itself up into a smirk, but he resisted, of course.

Rocky stared at the other man in disbelief.  
"I... I um... yeah..."  
Stuttering like an idiot now, the tabby was flustered once again.  
"I own a toothbrush, yeah..."  
His face was beet red, his tail bristled up and the tip wagging unconsciously.

Mordecai lowered his cup and glanced at the tabby with something resembling a smug stare.  
"Is something the matter, Mr. Rickaby?"  
He asked coyly, enjoying this state he'd put the other in a little too much it seemed.

The inner voice in Rocky's head was screaming. 'he's so attractive, what the heck!?'

"I'm, I'm... I'm..."  
His stuttering was getting on his own nerves now. What was wrong with him. He couldn't stop, this man had a power over him.  
"I'm good..."  
He brought the tea back up to his mouth and taking large gulps in order to finish it fast and not relive an embarrassing spit take again on accident.

Needless to say that Mordecai was feeling quite accomplished. He didn't think he would have been able to pull this out of the tabby so soon after providing himself with the challenge. It was doing wonders for his ego.  
"Good, I suppose I'm glad to hear it."  
He hummed in reply, deciding to lean back a bit and cross one leg over the other so he'd be sitting more comfortably.  
"You're a little red again, by the way."

Hearing Mordecai say that made him turn even redder. Rocky's hands flew up to cover his cheeks. This man...

"Am not... oh raspberries...."  
He looked down at his empty teacup that was now on the coffee table; a small amount of sugar congealed at the bottom.

"There's a mirror available in the bathroom if you don't believe me."  
Mordecai stated calmly as he took another sip of tea.  
"There's more tea if you'd like me to bring it out for your enjoyment as well."

Rocky looked back at Mordecai wide-eyed. Was he, in his own way, kind of flirting with him? Knowing Mordecai, what little he did know, he wouldn't be surprised if this was just him being his stoic self.  
"I... I think I'll use that bathroom now. "  
He needed to wash his face, so to speak, of the blush he had on it. The tabby stood up fast and rushed to the bathroom.

Before the tuxedo cat could respond, Rocky was already gone. Once he heard the bathroom door close, he shook his head and let the smirk form.  
"Honestly..."  
He muttered to himself, finished his tea, then stood and returned to the kitchen to retrieve the teapot for more tea. He didn't think he would enjoy this at all. Once again, he was proven to be wrong.

The tabby splashed his face with water, cooling himself off. His heart was racing, his mind trying to catch up with it.  
"Get it together, Rocky! He's playing with you... right!? What's wrong with you!? You were so cocky not ten minutes ago and _one word_ from that man got you _this flustered_!?"  
He pointed at himself in the mirror and yelling in a whisper.  
"Go out there and get it together!"  
With one last exhale he grabbed a hand towel and wiped his face dry. One last look in the mirror with a nod, and he walked back out into the parlor and took his seat on the couch.

Mordecai was in the process of pouring himself another cup of tea when Rocky rejoined him.  
"Are you feeling any better?"  
He asked as he held the pot up as a silent offer to pour the tabby another cup.

The tabby nodded to let the other know he wanted another cup. Anything to keep his hands preoccupied at the moment.  
"Yes... quite."  
He tried to sound prim and proper, composed.

The tuxedo cat proceeded to add to Rocky's cup, having taken note of the leftover sugar stuck to the bottom.  
"I assume you don't have anywhere to be this evening nor tomorrow considering it is nearly midnight."

"Nope! Tomorrow, I got the day off. I was probably just going to play my violin and take it easy for the day."  
Rocky picked up the sugar and started to scoop some more into his cup. Not as much this time, remembering the mass at the bottom. It would end up being absorbed into the tea as well as what he was adding.

"Noted."  
Mordecai nodded as he returned to his seat and picked up his cup.  
"While I happen to be in the state of mind that I am, I would like to take the opportunity to say something that I've been thinking about a lot. If I may, of course. I don't want you turning red again."

Intrigued, Rocky looked up from stirring his tea. He had no idea what this man could possibly have on his mind that would turn him red once more but now he really needed to know.  
"Please, what did you want to say?"  
He tried his hardest to have a stoic disposition but his inner child was bouncing off the walls in anticipation.

"I would just like to compliment your fur pattern. It's very appealing and, quite frankly, very symmetrical. I admire that."  
Mordecai said nonchalantly. Dare he continue to be bold? Perhaps, but for now, he paused to see the sort of reaction this received first.

Not exactly what he was expecting, but Rocky still smiled.  
"Thank you, Mordecai! That's very sweet of you. I grew it myself!"  
He winked at the other man, hoping to get a smile out of him.

"Yes, I figured you had."  
The tuxedo cat said, bringing his cup to his lips again, however, he paused to speak again.  
"I am quite curious to know if the rest of you that happens to be covered is just as symmetrically pleasing..."  
Now he was able to take his sip.

This comment effectively had Rocky bright red; so shocked that he dropped his teacup. Thankfully it was empty and only hit his lap with a small clatter from the cup hitting the saucer.  
"Excu.... huuuuuu......"  
He stared at Mordecai, dumbfounded. He had a retort in the back of his mind but his mouth had stopped working.

Mordecai glanced at the tabby with a raised brow.  
"Was that too bold? I just thought it appropriate to even the playing field considering your boldness earlier whilst trying my hand at it."  
He said as he set his cup on his saucer.  
"I admit, it is fun. I can see why you like holding this much confidence."

Rocky was able to shake his head, but words still eluded him.   
What he really wanted to say was 'why don't you find out for yourself?', proceed to sit in Mordecai's lap, and have the tuxedo undress him.   
Unfortunately, all he could manage to squeak out was 'I like it.'  
As he continued to stare at Mordecai. He wanted him to go on, hoping he would continue his boldness.

Well, now Mordecai was out of things to say. He took the easy way and now that things had become stepped up in difficulty, he wasn't sure how to maneuver to continue. He certainly wasn't going to expect to see the rest of Rocky's patterns; that would hardly be appropriate.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid that's all I have for the time being. Thank you for allowing me that bit of freedom."  
The tuxedo cat hummed. While it was easy to fluster the tabby, there was nothing Mordecai felt he could say to top that. That was as bold as he could think to go.

Rocky snapped out of his stupor. His face was still hot but not as bad as it was a minute ago. Mordecai had fought a little dirty with that statement. He now had an idea but decided to save it. Having Mordecai step out of his comfort zone to flirt made him feel incredibly honored that he got to see him 'let his hair down'.

"I'm glad you can be comfortable enough to speak like that around me, to be honest. It's nice. I would say something back but... nah. I might make _you_ turn red."  
He gave the other a smirk.

Mordecai was now curious. He wasn't sure if he was capable of such a thing.  
"Well, you're welcome to try if you have something prepared."  
He said as he took the final sip of his tea.

"Okay."  
Standing up and setting his cup and saucer on the table, Rocky turned to Mordecai, took his cup, and set it next to the one he had just put down. Then, sliding his legs alongside Mordecai's so that he was sitting in his lap, the tabby grabbed the black and white cat's tie and pulled him in close so their faces were close to one another.

Naturally, Mordecai was taken aback by the sudden switch from verbal to physical; his eyes widening and ears pinning back as he almost attempted to lean away, but the grip on his tie wouldn't allow it. 

"Why don't you find out for yourself, handsome?"  
Then he planted a kiss on Mordecai's lips.

Once their lips connected in that familiar sensation of warm and welcoming affection, the tuxedo cat felt himself returning to the state of mind he'd been in that he luckily hadn't entirely come away from a few hours prior. He was still open to accepting the kiss; it was just the fact that Rocky was sitting on top of him, straddling his lap while they osculated. Not to mention the words said beforehand.

Mordecai didn't know what to do with his hands, so he kept them firmly on the armrests of his seat. He was fighting between fully accepting this and just letting Rocky have his fun. Of course, the black and white cat hadn't become red at all, rather his entire body became stiff as a board.

As Rocky continued the kiss, he felt the other stiffen up like a cement sidewalk. To help the other calm a bit, he entwined his tail around the taller man's. Also letting go of his tie to place his hands on the other's shoulders instead.

Mordecai felt the softening on Rocky's part, appreciating that he'd let go of his tie. Finally, he let his eyes slowly close and returned the kiss. He also remembered Rocky guiding him to hold his hips, so, the tuxedo cat figured that would be appropriate to apply to this scenario as well.  
By no means would he be taking the tabby up on his suggestion though. This was more than enough of an adventure as it was.

Rocky felt the other man's hands come up to rest on his hips. This was good; Mordecai was starting to relax. The tabby moved his body closer to the older man, he wrapped an arm around his shoulder and slid his right hand up behind his head. His claws raked softly through Mordecai's fur in a relaxing motion.

As Rocky shifted closer, one of Mordecai's hands moved to the tabby's back and the other went up to hold Rocky's cheek. This may not have been the most comfortable position for the tuxedo to be in, but he was going to take what he could get.  
The black and white cat was beginning to melt again as he had before, letting himself sink so far as to begin to faintly purr again.

The tabby's fur stood on end as he felt the other's hands travel. When one hand was rested on his cheek he pulled away from the kiss slightly and pressed his face against the palm. Turning his nose into the palm, he gave it a small kiss and began to purr lightly himself, now matching his partner in affection.

The tuxedo cat's eyes opened once they parted, watching as the tabby showed affection in a different way now. It was getting late, but at that moment, time didn't seem to matter to Mordecai. It was strange, not to mention the fact that he'd forgotten that he was in a frantic panic just before the tabby showed up. Those thoughts and anxiety had seemingly disappeared into thin air, and whether they would show up again later or not was unforeseen.

"You're beautiful..."  
Mordecai muttered under his breath as he held eye contact with those ocean eyes.

The tabby was feeling all too euphoric now. He was looking straight at Mordecai's piercing jade eyes. The black and white cat had said something, but considering how focused he was on the both of them purring and enjoying the moment, he wasn't completely sure of what he had said. Sliding his face one more time in the palm of the tuxedo's hand, he slid his own from the back of Mordecai's head to his cheek, pulling him into another kiss. This time, the kiss a bit more passionate than just a little smooch. He parted his lips ever so slightly against the other man's, guiding him to open just a bit. No tongue was involved, just lips.

Mordecai allowed himself to be guided whilst leaning into the hand that was carefully placed against his face. Of course, with how things went the last time, he was hesitant to part his lips but did anyway. He didn't know why, but he was willing to trust Rocky with this; certainly applying the 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me' sort of mindset.

Feeling Mordecai following his guidance, he wanted to try and take it a step further. Not the lewdest thing one could do with another out there but he had never done it before so he wanted to know what it felt like.

Rocky removed the hand that was wrapped around Mordecai's back, letting it fall to his side in search of the older man's hand. Seizing it and lacing their fingers together, he gave the other's hand a small squeeze.

The tuxedo cat cooperated and reciprocated the attention to his hand, squeezing Rocky's hand in return. He really didn't want this to end. It was too wonderful. He was feeling a rush of emotions for the first time in his life that wasn't at all negative. It was nearly seen as impossible to envision himself in a position like this.

After another moment, Mordecai pulled away to speak, clearing his throat lightly to find his voice again.  
"Tell me if this is too forward and don't hesitate to decline if you're not comfortable with the idea, but I can't imagine your vehicle is the most comfortable to sleep in..."  
He began with his voice soft and almost skittish.  
"Would you like to stay the night?"  
Now that he said it aloud, he was beginning to question the offer and his own mind for thinking it to be acceptable even with his excuse.

Rocky was a little upset that Mordecai pulled away, but once that question was uttered, he was happy he had. The tabby smiled widely and squeezed the other's hand in excitement.  
'Stay calm, stay cool' he repeated to himself in his head. Letting go of the black and white cat's hand, he slipped his arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

"I'd love to."  
Rubbing his cheek against Mordecai's, he let slip the L-word for the first time, figuring it was okay since it was towards a motion and not an affection per se. Still, he was glad he had his face buried in the older man's shoulder now so he couldn't see how red he got after letting that word slip past his lips.

Awkwardly, Mordecai brought his hands up to lightly rest on the tabby's back. He really cornered himself with this one. He had the plan set to bathe that evening and he wouldn't be able to do that with a guest in his apartment. He was at least confident that this wasn't something anyone did before their first official date; a date that the tuxedo cat wasn't even certain he would be able to take part in. He hadn't had time to think about it and he didn't want Rocky to get his hopes up.

"I'll... go and see if I have some evening wear for you to use for tonight and change myself as well."  
The black and white cat said as a cue for Rocky to kindly remove himself from his lap.

With one more quick peck on the cheek, Rocky got the hint and slid backward off of the black and white cat's lap.

"I really appreciate that. I'll wait here I guess?"  
He questioned as he sat down on the couch. This evening was going far better than he could have ever imagined. Never in a million years did he think he was going to be able to get this close to Mordecai, to be honest. Such a mysterious, and serious individual, yet he was so soft and being so open around him. More open than he thought he would be that is.

The tuxedo cat noted how cold the air was once the tabby had removed his warm body, however, stood from where he sat regardless.  
"You can come along if you'd like. I'll give you your set and you can change in the bathroom."  
He replied as he started to walk down the hallway to the bedroom at the very end.

Rocky hopped up from the couch, eager to follow the older man.  
"Sounds good to me."  
He kept fairly close to Mordecai as they made their way down the hallway. Not so close he could step on his heels or anything, just close enough to keep his scent fresh in his mind.

Mordecai swiftly opened a drawer of his wardrobe and tilted his head to the side. It was now that he noted the size difference between himself and Rocky. His clothes were probably going to be too big for the poor tabby, so he looked for a specific set of pajamas. He only had eight sets, so it didn't take him long to locate them and pull the pants and shirt from the drawer.

When Mordecai searched through his drawers and paused, Rocky tilted his head wondering what the man could possibly be thinking of. He saw what was in the drawers, this man barely had any clothing to his name, and he was incredibly organized.

"Here we are."  
Mordecai nodded, plucking a small bit of lint from the perfectly folded garment.

When the other man turned to him and handed him a pair of spare pajamas, he smiled and took them gladly. Making sure to gently touch the other's hand as he pulled the garments into his. His tail twitched in eagerness. He was pretty excited to sleep somewhere other than the backbench of his car for a night.

"Thanks again, Mordecai, for inviting me into your home and letting me stay the night. You're a very kind man."  
Then he turned on his heels and made his way to the bathroom.

It was a short walk from the tuxedos bedroom to the bathroom. Once inside he closed the door and set down the pajamas on the counter next to the sink. He then began to strip and fold his clothes neatly, for once.

Mordecai wasn't used to being thanked for much of anything. It seemed that if he was to continue being in contact with this particular man, he would have to get used to it and quickly.  
Once Rocky left the room, the tuxedo cat closed his bedroom door and started by removing his shoes and socks, but before he could continue, the itch in the back of his mind of the teapot and such had been left in the living area.  
If he was a normal sort of being, he would have been able to leave it until after he changed, however, because he was who he was, he needed to at least bring it all back to the kitchen before he could continue.

Opening his bedroom door, Mordecai stepped out and started walking down the hall, but as he passed the bathroom, he noticed that the door hadn't been closed completely. It did have a habit of sticking a bit when it got close to closing, so there wasn't a way of simply swinging it and expecting it to close unless you went to slam it.  
The black and white cat couldn't help his curiosity despite knowing that this was quite intrusive.

Glancing into the room, Mordecai caught sight of Rocky's back. He seemed to be quick with changing due to the fact he already had the pajama pants on.  
The tuxedo cat paused, not only seeing the very thin figure, but also the patterns. He was certainly awestruck at the beauty of the symmetry. The stripes that ran horizontally down the tabby's arms and back continued down his fluffy tail.

Mordecai stood quietly for a few moments as he simply admired the tabby for a moment, then pulled himself out of his trance quickly once he realized how rude he was being. He was grateful that he'd taken his shoes off; the padding of his feet keeping his footsteps next to nonexistent as he continued to the living room, quickly gathered all of the dishes, and brought them to the kitchen.  
He made sure to dump the remaining tea despite the waste and started to wash everything. Mordecai couldn't just leave dirty dishes out and unattended.

Rocky slipped on the nightshirt and began buttoning it up. The garments fit him surprisingly well considering the size difference between himself and Mordecai. They were only a little big on him, but he was used to that. Most clothing was big on him, being a bean pole and all. He left the bathroom, leaving his neatly folded clothes on the countertop, figuring he would be back there in the morning to change into them again anyway. Whilst walking down the hallway he could hear Mordecai in the kitchen, the sink was flowing so he had a feeling he was cleaning the congealed sugar out of his teacup.

"I really should cut back on that stuff..."  
The tabby spoke softly to himself as he prodded his teeth with his tongue feeling for any cavities. He had none that he was aware of but now that another person had commented on his sugar intake he was partially concerned.

"They fit great! Thanks again!"  
Directing yet another word of gratitude towards the tuxedo cat, Rocky then plopped his behind on a chair at the table.  
"Sure is a comfy place ya got here."

Mordecai remained quiet, entirely focused on his current task. He didn't mean to ignore Rocky completely. At least when he was finished with the washing, he would be able to leave everything to air dry on the rack.

Once he finished the last cup, the tuxedo cat dried his hands and double-checked to make sure that everything was in order before leaving for the bedroom.  
"I'll go and change now. I won't be more than a few minutes."  
Mordecai informed.

Rocky nodded and stood, going back to the parlor.  
"Sure thing, I'll be sitting on the couch."  
He didn't realize how tired he was until he rested his head. The couch was rather comfortable.

Mordecai returned to his bedroom and quickly changed, making sure to fold the clothes he'd been wearing and set them on his pile of laundry to be washed. Yes, he folded the clothes that were dirty and were going to be washed.  
He opened the bottom drawer and set his shoes inside, closing the drawer again.   
When he entered the living room again, he noticed that Rocky looked to be on the verge of sleep. Quietly, the tuxedo cat grabbed a blanket from the bathroom closet and brought it back with him.

"You're exhausted..."  
Mordecai said softly as he stood in front of the tabby, the blanket neatly over his arm.

With such heavy eyelids, Rocky was barely able to look up at the black and white cat.  
"Been a long day, also... the couch... comfy."  
As if out of reflex, Rocky fell to the side and put his feet up. He grabbed a pillow and put it under his head and started to doze.

Mordecai's features softened, shaking his head a bit.  
"Before you get too comfortable, I'd like to you get up. Only for a moment. Please."

Although he was so tired he could pass out right there, Rocky couldn't say no to Mordecai. With a soft grunt, the tabby pushed himself up off of the couch and to standing in front of the tuxedo cat. His eyes were half-closed still as he stepped aside.

Mordecai then sat himself down on the couch, turning himself, and proceeded to lay down. This wasn't the most comfortable, but he had certainly been on worse surfaces.  
"Alright, you're welcome to return as you were."  
He said as he unfolded the blanket, ready to cover the tabby with it once he got comfortable.

When he looked down and realized how the tuxedo cat was positioned on the couch, Rocky woke up immediately. For about the fifth time tonight, Mordecai effectively turned the tabby bright red.  
"Raspberries..."  
He whispered quietly to himself in disbelief. Rocky kneeled down between the older man's legs and let himself fall face forward into his chest.

The tuxedo cat wasn't entirely ready for the sudden weight that was brought down into his body, letting out a breathy grunt in response to it. It didn't take him more than a second to regain his composure and brought the blanket up to drape over them.  
This was something Mordecai was more comfortable with, sleeping on the couch with Rocky rather than in his bed. There was something less formal and official about this. Strange to think about but it made sense to him.

With the blanket now covering them, Mordecai looked down at the tabby as he brought his hands up to rest on his back. Of course, he noticed the redness, but he wasn't going to mention it this time.

"Good night, Mr. Rickaby."  
The black and white cat whispered, taking his glasses off and set them on the coffee table before returning his hand to Rocky's back.

All Rocky could muster was a hum in response. He was exhausted from such an exciting day. Wrapping his arms around Mordecai, he began to purr softly as he drifted off to sleep.

Mordecai noticed how quickly Rocky fell asleep, feeling the tabby's weight increase the deeper he dove into slumber. He supposed he couldn't blame the poor tabby. He didn't know how his day went before their meeting, but their evening had been very eventful.  
The tuxedo cat would have fallen asleep too but his mind was starting to work again and he wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing that there was a guest in his apartment that could get into trouble.

Mordecai closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn't be sleeping much. His tail swished against the floor as he began to purr lightly. This was something he remembered having to do a few times in the past for one of his sisters in the past when storms would roll through during the night.

While he had this quiet time, the black and white cat had to figure out what it was he was doing with this whole situation with Rocky. Things had escalated significantly and out of absolutely nowhere. Mordecai didn't know if he could trust the tabby yet, not to mention what would happen if they were found out.

The tuxedo cat's eyes opened again, staring up at the dark ceiling above. He'd really put himself in a box with this one and he didn't know why he was doing this to himself.   
This was all so sudden and out of character for him.

He could feel his anxiety start to rise again, but the moment he remembered that Rocky was there with him, his mind started to slow down and calm itself.  
What was he going to do?


End file.
